Good to see everyone. Thanks for the time and the energy and the effort and I say it sincerely When you're away from your family, I appreciate it. We appreciate it So I just would like to go back so we can go forward One twenty twenty five was a fantastic season on the field to be able to win 11th regular season games win the NFC North When a playoff game to get to 12 wins especially in Coach Johnson's first year Obviously you can see that Coach Johnson is a outstanding coach leader Person and the relationship that he's developed with Ryan Poles is Outstanding and I just want to thank George McCaskey our chairman and also the entire McCaskey family for believing in us and giving the us the opportunity to lead the storied franchise so and As we look back as coach Johnson said it really doesn't matter as we go forward, but we are blessed with a young roster we have excellent draft capital we have a really talented young players and And we're looking forward to this year and it always helps to have a Outstanding and exceptional quarterback who's not only a great player and Caleb Williams, but also a great leader So we're excited from a football standpoint and some of the stats that we heard even yesterday in the meetings that 31 I think was 31.16 was the rating on our Amazon Prime playoff game just Astronomical numbers over 50 million on NBC on our our playoff game at home against the Rams and And our fandom is at all-time high. He's got a new report that we have over a hundred and eight million fans globally 21.2 domestically and so when you hear those numbers We are in an exceptional position At the Chicago Bears now as we look forward so from a football standpoint. We're really excited about going forward I constantly check our season ticket holder renewal rate and one of the first things I do after my prayer and quiet time in the morning Is look at that and this morning? We're about 97 percent already renewed in our season tickets and the remaining Accounts are coming in and our analytics team projected that will be at 99.8 percent from a renewal rate So we're right on target. So going into this season from a fan standpoint from a fandom standpoint From a football standpoint health and wellness We're we're really excited looking forward to the draft and looking forward to get into offseason workouts and then training camp and then Have another wonderful season this year that Hopefully culminates in a world championship and then from a business standpoint our staff is in really good place as you all are aware we've been working on our stadium and And feel very strongly that we're making progress we're in an excellent position and I recently said that you know the target is to make sure that we have a decision made by spring time here soon and Spring late spring early summer would be that from a target on December last year We sent out a letter to the season ticket holders and to our fan base to say that we were expanding our our reach Into the Chicago land area into Northwest Indiana and so we have been in great discussions with the state of Indiana In regards to the site in Hammond, Indiana and we did have legislation passed, you know recently So we feel like we're making progress. We're we're working on due diligence. We have a list of items That we're working on from a due diligence standpoint and then also in Illinois. I know they're working on You know legislation and pilot legislation and also infrastructure in Arlington Heights but one good thing about it both of the sites are excellent excellent sites and And we're focused on making sure that we build a world-class stadium That can create a wonderful fan experience Because our fans are so important to us. They deserve a world-class stadium They deserve a world-class fan experience that has proper tailgating ingress egress all of the amenities that newer Advanced stadiums have so with that I'll open it up to questions Legislation well, I mean, I think you know they continue to continually work on you know the pilot legislation and and I believe their schedule to come back sometime in the middle of April and and it's not specifically for the Chicago Bears Obviously, I think the perception and the focus from a legislative standpoint is that it's good for business in Illinois to be able to Allow businesses to at least have a manageable amount of taxes that they will be required to Pay and as you're aware that this is something that the Illinois legislature has been working on for many years I think the biggest thing is convinced is that We need to make sure that we're in a position To build a world-class stadium for our fans We're focused on it. You heard the commissioner say yesterday that You know the time is is now for us to be able to do it And I think the biggest thing is in all of these big projects you have to have tax certainty and we know which is which is critically important We're we're would not be able to to build a stadium without tax certainty Fortunately, we do have tax certainty in the state of Indiana and from that standpoint So there are no property tax Taxes for our stadium in the state of Indiana. So that is certain that legislation has passed but here in Illinois For us to even consider an opportunity. We have to have tax certainty without that We can't proceed forward No, that's a great question, but I would say it's not as simple as that I mean the biggest things on all these stadiums you need to make sure that the projects that you can finance them I mean one of the biggest focal points now is to Checking the capital markets the financial markets. So pilot legislation is a critical component of it But that's only one step then you have to deal with the infrastructure On any of these stadiums, you know the roads the highways the sewers the storm water All those things are are have to be a focal point To be able to build and operate especially when you are going to host that many people at one point in time Well, I mean, I think we've made it very clear we have two sites That we are excited about and when you compare them in Arlington Heights of the the site many of you of you have been there It's 326 acres in Ham and it's 340 acres So there's plenty of space to make sure that we do have a mixed use development in both locations But we've made it very clear and as I said you've heard the NFL you heard the commissioner Specifically say it these projects are are they're challenging and when you get to a point where you actually can see Them coming to fruition you need to make sure we capitalize on it be just because the the positive economic energy It brings I mean you look yesterday was voted upon that Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium will be hosting Basically two Super Bowls in five years and those are kind of things that in the Chicago land area We have not had an opportunity to be able to do Because we don't have a fixed roof and so all of those you know events from the final four, which is in Indianapolis this weekend The men's final four women's final four is here in Phoenix, but Super Bowl Events it just it is it they have passed over the Chicago land area when you think about all the hotels and restaurants and The fans that exist To be able to build those a stadium there it would give us an opportunity to bid and hopefully secure those opportunities Can you repeat the first part of question Now that you guys have the leverage Because Indiana has stepped up to the plate how do you prevent the emotional element of the human element of emotion from factoring into Negotiation now they don't wake up back to the table when you now have the hammer your hand You know one thing I think is critically important is We don't look at this as a Political exercise per se we look at this as a business transaction and And so fortunately, you know, we feel very strongly This is the right thing to do at this point in time for the right reasons and You know the world can change I mean you look what's happened in this war in the last couple weeks It can change overnight, you know the financial markets can change and so when you think about Global issues everything impacts everything so from a global standpoint war finances Capital markets the cost of steel and so we look at this from to make sure that we stay above any political fray We look at this as an opportunity from a business standpoint to do the the right thing in the chicago land area and from a Location standpoint You know to be where we're situated, you know Hammond and Arlington Heights are both in our our DMA They're they're they're both in our in our area and so that's that's something that's important This is not us moving outside of the the DMA. I mean they're they're they're both Relatively short distance from soldier feel as we stand here now Kevin specifically about the state of Illinois I know camp Buckner with the bearers hand-in-hand to try to get those 60 votes need to the the state Have you had a chance to get together with lawmakers who are the no votes right now? To to find out what their concerns are To alleviate their concerns to turn those votes around I think one of the things that's important just from an experiential standpoint is to make sure The lawmakers the politicians have a chance to handle their business in the manner that they can handle it in and and so I think that's something that we've stayed away from you know for for obvious reasons and And you know they have difficult jobs, so I totally understand What what the Illinois lawmakers are are trying to work through? You know Indiana They've been Spectacular to work with I mean the under the leadership of Governor Braun. They've been straightforward They work with great pace and precision precision and and they've made this project a priority And that's why now we're spending the time to make sure we really dig into the due diligence because there's issues with parking Transportation ingress and egress fan experience It is an absolutely You know interesting positive site in Hammond and to be able to have two sites You know one that in Hammond and both in Arlington Heights is very rare and unique and but but we also trust the leadership in Illinois under Governor Pritzker and and as I said there are a lot of things going on not only locally Nationally but also globally Yeah, I mean it's it's a unique piece of property because you know rarely do you find 326 acres near a major metropolitan area and So so it is it's a great piece of property has Topography it has water on it, you know all those different things and when we say pad ready Now it requires a lot of work because it was a racetrack for many years and there hadn't been any infrastructure Handled in the last I think a hundred years and so it does need you know some work all over that can be done You know from a storm water and that's why the infrastructure costs are so critically You know important to be able to make sure That fans can enter and exit and have all the amenities that are necessary But you know once we Purchase the property forksley and mckasky's had the vision to be able to still proceed forward and make sure we do some things They get the land in in a good position, so it's in a really good position Yeah, we are in a good position from a stadium design standpoint, but depending on where our final determination of the site, you know ends and Where we decide to build the stadium? We just want to make sure that people understand they're in the chicagoland area and so it's not totally done I mean obviously we want to make sure we've made a lot of progress the architect that we've been working with is David Manneca I mean he's designed stadiums around the world and designed, you know most recently The Las Vegas radars stadium allegiance stadium But it will be a fixed roof with Etfe roof components, you know similar to us bank stadium similar to Sulfi similar to a legion stadium where fans will be able to feel that they have that outdoor You know atmosphere will what would be enclosed and so we're in a good position from a design and and you know construction document standpoint Ryan talked about the complex situation Mm-hmm Yeah, can you detail what your involvement with George's involvement has been and maybe advancing that conversation forward to the league office? Yeah, I mean one of the things I think we have to start With the positive elements of this in Cunningham and a lot of this goes to you know Commend George McCaskey and the family is that he afforded Ryan Poles an opportunity back in 2022 to actually create a position For an assistant general manager Ian comes in Had had an opportunity to accept the general manager job early in his career I didn't feel that he was quite ready to be able to do that and and over the last couple years we collectively as a franchise have leaned into him from a You know personal performance coach to him being responsible for player development Sitting in being involved on salary cap meetings player performance. So he really grew And to see a young black man Come into the Chicago Bears after four years then get a job to go be general manager of the Atlanta Falcons under great ownership and Arthur blank and the leadership they have there So we're excited for Ian and his family That being said You know we were notified by the league at that point in time a couple weeks ago That their stance was that we would not be awarded compensatory picks We have been in communication with the NFL in regards to see if You know what further conversations can be had You know from that standpoint and and so we we do feel We want to be good members and good partners in the NFL And we're happy for Ian and we'll see where all of this is is ultimately resolved from that standpoint You said to clarify are you are you still pursuing even though the league put down their decision when they put the Compacts out of the Monday free agency. Are you still trying to get a change their mind? Get it just get the complex for this year next year. Yeah, well, we I wouldn't say change their mind I think we're we're trying to just follow up with them just a normal Protocol within the NFL to to send in a response To say that we feel that you know, we deserve the compensatory picks And and we understand all the different issues that are going on with the league and and so I'm sure ultimately we'll hear something Back here sooner than later Thank you
