Bears Stadium Saga: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritkzer met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Thursday

ILLINOIS - The Chicago Bears have said they've remained focused on building a new stadium in Northwest Indiana.

But, on Thursday Illinois lawmakers announced they met with NFL leadership in regards to keeping the team in Illinois.

What they're saying:

On Thursday afternoon, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker's office announced it had met with Illinois lawmakers and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about keeping the Bears in Illinois.

The Governor's office released a statement that said Pritzker, along with Pat Ryan, Speaker Emanuel Welch, Rep. Kam Buckner and Sen. Bill Cunningham, all met with Goodell.

"The Governor's Office has remained in conversation with the Bears about their plans in Illinois throughout the summer," the statement from the Governor's office said. "The Governor and General Assembly leadership were glad to participate in a productive meeting focused on keeping the Bears in Illinois and protecting taxpayers."

There were reports that Goodell and select Illinois lawmakers had a meeting in August regarding the Bears' stadium situation. It wasn't reported which lawmakers the NFL had met with, and the NFL declined comment at that time.

NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy issued this statement on Thursday:

"The NFL appreciated the opportunity to meet with Governor Pritzker and legislative leaders today. Timely action is essential as the Bears work to find a long-term stadium solution for the club and their fans."

The other side:

The Bears have remained focused on Northwest Indiana, regardless of the reports that have come out regarding meetings with Illinois and the NFL.

On August 13 of this year, the Bears re-affirmed that focus. They didn't close the door officially on staying in Illinois, however. But, the Bears have not publicly pivoted back to Illinois.

"Not only are we building a world-class stadium, but we're building a world-class mixed-use development, and we want to make sure that we get this right," Bears CEO and President Kevin Warren said in August.

If the Bears do turn their focus back to Illinois, it most likely won't be to remain in the city of Chicago. The team closed the door on that opportunity earlier this year.

"The Chicago Bears have exhausted every opportunity to stay in Chicago which was our initial goal," the Bears said in May. "There is not a viable site in the city.  As a result, the only sites under consideration are in Arlington Heights and Hammond."