NFL Analyst Offers Bold Proposal for Bengals To Relocate and Share New Stadium With NFC Team

For the most part, NFL teams are very stationary. Since the league expanded to a 32-team format, only three teams have changed locations, which include the two Los Angeles teams and the Las Vegas Raiders. The first two had some motivations from the league itself, while the Raiders couldn’t secure a stadium in Oakland.

It might be time for a fourth move to happen, with another NFL team unable to secure a stadium at its current location. The Cincinnati Bengals have been hard at work this offseason, but a future in the city might be unlikely. As a result, one NFL analyst has a wild theory about bringing the Bengals into the same building as another team.

Could the Cincinnati Bengals Look for a New Home?

The idea floated by Mike Florio proposes a solution that kills two birds with one stone. The Chicago Bears have been trying to find a way to use taxpayer money to build a new stadium. However, nothing has come to pass yet.

“With the Bears getting nowhere when it comes to finagling taxpayer funding for a new stadium, the solution could come from having a second team play there,” Florio said. Instead, they could use their own money, provided they can be co-owners alongside the Bengals.

Both teams’ ownership groups rank among the most criticized in the league, with the Bengals specifically earning a C in the NFLPA’s yearly report (a bottom-10 team). They also have a reputation for frugality. As a result, cutting costs has to be a priority for them.

The Bengals have been trying to rework their lease expiration at Paycor Stadium, to no avail. As a result, a potential move could be in the works. Earlier this week, at the league’s annual meeting, it became clear that the franchise could decide to go wherever they wanted.

If they were to team up in Illinois, Florio believes it could be the best of both worlds. “The revenue from 20 NFL games each year, along with everything else that could be hosted in a fixed-roof building, should be able to pay for the building.”

It would instantly fix the problems for both teams and give them a new home to boast about. However, Florio himself admits that the chances of such a scenario taking place are low — but “in theory, it’s possible.”

“With the political winds blowing more and more strongly against subsidies for football teams worth upwards of $10 billion or beyond, it might take brash creativity to solve the current stadium situations for the Bears,” and this might be the best-case scenario for both teams.

The Bengals have been at Paycor since the start of the 2000 season, while Chicago’s history at Soldier Field is even deeper, beginning in 1971. With changing times, the two ownership groups might decide to change as well.