Roger Goodell just added a fascinating twist to Bears' potential move to Indiana

Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren said Thursday that the organization's "sole focus" is building a new stadium and mixed-use development in Hammond, Indiana. But apparently, the NFL isn't ready to give up on Illinois.

According to Politico's Shia Kapos, Goodell met privately Thursday with a "few select Illinois lawmakers."

Yep, the same day Warren was publicly emphasizing Indiana.

Roger Goodell reportedly meets with Illinois lawmakers

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio believes Goodell's meeting highlights the possibility that Hammond continues to serve as leverage for the Bears as they search for a way to get a stadium project done in Illinois.

Florio argued that if Hammond were truly the inevitable destination, more tangible progress toward building there might already be underway, especially with Warren acknowledging Thursday that the projected cost of a new stadium is increasing by approximately $150 million per year.

Sure, that's only Florio's interpretation, not confirmation of the Bears' strategy, but Goodell's involvement certainly adds another layer to the stadium saga.

Warren's message Thursday couldn't have been much clearer: Northwest Indiana is where the Bears say they're focused.

Goodell, meanwhile, was reportedly sitting down with lawmakers from the state the franchise has called home for more than a century.

At minimum, it suggests Illinois isn't completely out of the picture.

Could the Bears still end up staying in Illinois?

The Bears have already taken significant steps toward Indiana. The team's board of directors voted in June to advance its stadium development project in Hammond, and Warren has repeatedly emphasized the potential for a stadium and surrounding mixed-use development there.

But the franchise hasn't broken ground. And until that happens, it's difficult to consider any location final given how many times this stadium search has changed direction.

Arlington Heights once appeared inevitable after the Bears purchased the former Arlington International Racecourse property. Then the focus shifted toward Chicago's lakefront. Arlington Heights eventually returned to the conversation before Hammond emerged as the new frontrunner.

Now the NFL commissioner is reportedly meeting with Illinois lawmakers.

There's also one thing Bears chairman George McCaskey has already made clear: wherever the stadium ends up, the franchise's identity isn't changing.

"No," McCaskey said Thursday when asked whether a move across state lines could change the team's name. "We will be the Chicago Bears whether we'll be in Arlington [Heights] or in Hammond."

The Bears might ultimately build their new home in Indiana exactly as Warren says they intend to. But Goodell's reported meeting is another reminder that this stadium saga isn't over.