GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - This week the Packers and Bears renew the NFL’s oldest rivalry at Lambeau Field.
A lot has changed since Green Bay’s 11 game winning streak versus Chicago was snapped in Week 18 of 2024. The Bears going on to win three of the last four meetings including a comeback in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
Head coach Ben Johnson certainly set the tone from day one for reigniting the rivalry.
“To be quite frank with you, I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year,” Johnson said during his introductory press conference.
Following the playoff win, Johnson adding fuel to the fire with a viral moment from the locker room.
“F the Packers. F them,” said Johnson.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur is not taking the bait.
“Because this game is about players. We’re going to keep it about those guys. And don’t get me wrong, I love the rivalry. It’s awesome. It’s intense. You can feel it on game day. You can feel it throughout the course of the week,” LaFleur said.
As for those players in the Packers locker room...
“F the Packers. It’s just noise. We’ve been through what feels like a lot already in the four games this season. And we’ve already had to put up with noise from the outside,” tight end Tucker Kraft said.
“You can never control what other people say, nor do you really think about that, to be honest. But it is what it is. We’ll see them Sunday and that’s all I got for that,” said Jordan Love.
“We understand how they feel about us. And we feel the same way, is what I’ll say. You know, it’s a rivalry for a reason,” said safety Evan Williams.
Packers linebacker Zaire Franklin, who is new to the rivalry, said it stands out compared to others he has experienced.
“A lot of bad blood. A lot of genuine dislike. Which is... which is... I think it’s a little different than nowadays. Most rivalries are just on social media. In the off-season, you’re hanging out. I don’t think nobody would want to hang out with the Bears in the off-season,” Franklin said.
The Packers and Bears meet at noon Sunday for the 214th meeting between the two teams.
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