Even while dealing with a fracture in his left wrist, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is pushing to play Sunday.
That might be because he knows another shot at the Chicago Bears awaits him at Soldier Field.
Rodgers has dominated the Monsters of the Midway throughout his career. In 29 career starts against the Bears, Rodgers is 24-5 and has thrown for 6,965 yards, 64 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. He’s added another 313 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the matchups, too.
Famously (or infamously, depending on how you view things), Rodgers went viral for his words to Bears fans during a 2021 game at Soldier Field.
Late in the fourth quarter against the Bears, Rodgers raced home for a touchdown, extending the Packers’ 17-14 lead. While celebrating with his teammates on the side of the end zone with boos raining down, Rodgers was heard on a hot mic shouting “I still own you!”
Based on his 24-5 record against the Bears, it’s hard to disagree with Rodgers. In fact, as Steelers Depot’s Ross McCorkle noted early Wednesday, Rodgers is 15-2 in his last 17 games against the Bears and has thrown 43 touchdown passes to just two interceptions.
Remarkable numbers.
The Steelers are hoping for more of the same from the soon-to-be 42-year-old quarterback Sunday, should he be able to go with his wrist injury. But ahead of that matchup with the Bears, Rodgers joked with reporters that he’d like to stop being the villain to Bears fans.
“I’m not in Green Bay anymore. I feel like we can let bygones be bygones. Maybe I can, I guess,” Rodgers joked about his personal rivalry with the Bears and their fans, according to video via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “It’s a great rivalry in the history of all sports. You talk about the Lakers and the Celtics, and the Red Sox and the Yankees. You gotta talk about the Packers and the Bears, and there’s been some great memories there.
“When I first got to Green Bay, the Bears had the all-time series lead. When I left, the Packers did. Since J-Love [Jordan Love] has taken over, it’s even gotten better. But I hope those fans can put that behind ’em.”
Does Aaron Rodgers thrive on being the villain in Chicago?
Rodgers: “I’d rather not be, I mean, I’m not in Green Bay anymore. I feel like we can let bygones be bygones. Maybe I can.”
(Watch the clip to get Rodgers’ tone and grin as he talks about the rivalry with the Bears) https://t.co/BaOrLJxSMf
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) November 19, 2025
There’s no shot Bears fans put that history with Rodgers behind them, even if he’s not in a Packers uniform. Of course, Rodgers knows that; that’s why he joked about letting bygones be bygones.
Still, even with the injury he’s dealing with, there has to be some burning desire to play one more game in Chicago and send those fans home disappointed like he has time and time again.
“There’s incentive for every opponent, but I have enjoyed many a Sunday and Monday and many Thursdays in that city,” Rodgers said of Chicago. “It’s a great sports town. Phenomenal sports fans and great place to play.”
Chicago is a great sports town, and Rodgers has ruined many days and nights there, thriving while doing so, too.
Hopefully, if he can go, he has one more great moment in the Windy City left in him. We’ll see how he progresses this week as he deals with the injury. But with the carrot of playing the Bears one more time in Chicago in front of him, it seems like Rodgers is going to do whatever it takes to be on the field.
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