Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has said in the past that he wants a Super Bowl at Soldier Field. He still does. And he also wants the NFL draft in Chicago.
Emanuel’s spokesman says the mayor and the commissioner talked recently and discussed having both NFL events in Chicago.
“The mayor and Roger Goodell spoke last week on a number of matters,” spokesman Tom Alexander told ESPNChicago.com. “They speak or see one another on occasion. The mayor spoke with the commissioner about several things that would allow Chicago and the NFL to expand their already wonderful relationship. Chicago is a great sports town and a great football town, and the mayor wants to build on these strengths.”
The NFL will have the draft at Radio City Music Hall through 2014, but after that it’s possible the event could move out of New York City.
If next year’s New Jersey Super Bowl goes off without a hitch, Chicago may be one of several cold-weather cities with outdoor stadiums that bid for future Super Bowls. Soldier Field’s small seating capacity of 63,500, however, makes it a long shot to get a Super Bowl even if the NFL is willing to play in the cold again. The Super Bowls have been awarded to Arizona in 2015, San Francisco in 2016 and Houston in 2017, so the earliest Chicago could host the game is 2018.