L.A. Home for Monsters of Midway?

Add the Chicago Bears to the growing list of NFL teams that say they are looking toward Los Angeles.

For the first time in his recent negotiations for a new stadium, Bear President Mike McCaskey said his team could move to a new city if a suitable replacement for aging Soldier Field is not found by the end of this year.

“They might be [moved], in time,” McCaskey said. “Our preference is to keep the Bears in Illinois . . . but no stadium has ever been built without some sort of lever like that.”

Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar repeated the veiled threat during a morning news conference at the Bears’ training camp.

“Wherever they play, we would like very much for them to stay in Illinois,” Edgar said.

At least, McCaskey admitted that he is using the move option as leverage, unlike officials of the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals, who have also said they were interested in the Los Angeles area.

The Bears have designated four potential sites for a new stadium and have agreed to contribute to the financing. They are awaiting word from the Illinois Legislature on the extent of state funding for the project.