Heading into the 2026 NFL season, the Chicago Bears-Green Bay Packers rivalry has reached a new level. Chicago finished 2025 at 11-6 and captured the NFC North, while Green Bay went 9-7-1 to finish second in the division.
The Bears then added another painful chapter for Green Bay by beating the Packers 31-27 in the Wild Card round. Despite the loss, Packers fans are pushing back against the Bears’ growing hype, despite their breakout campaign.
Packers Fans Are Not Worried About the Bears Despite Their Breakout Campaign
The conversation picked up after NFL reporter Ari Meirov released a preview of the Packers’ 2026 season. Soon, Green Bay supporters began taking shots at Chicago’s sudden rise.
Meirov even shared the reaction from the Packers fan base, writing, “As for how the Packers fanbase feels? ‘Calm down, little brother. Let’s see you do it again.’”
The #Packers/#Bears rivalry is all the way back — though Matt LaFleur swears he has no idea why Ben Johnson has directly and specifically called him out.
As for how the Packers fanbase feels? “Calm down, little brother. Let’s see you do it again.” 🧀🐻
More from @AaronNagler: https://t.co/7IxnS4B7JZ pic.twitter.com/sp2qoU5JKf
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 20, 2026
Then one Packers fan doubled down on the rivalry by writing, “BEARS ARE LITTLE BROTHER 🫵🔥😘.”
Another simply responded, “lol,” while sharing a video of Colston Loveland admitting that Packers are constantly talked about in the Bears’ facility.
lol pic.twitter.com/MldDliIfZo
— 🧀 (@bZbmB) August 20, 2026
However, the 2025 season showed that the gap between these NFC North rivals has narrowed considerably. Green Bay and Chicago split their regular-season meetings.
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But, as mentioned earlier, the Wild Card round changed the scenario. On Jan. 10, 2026, Green Bay raced to a 21-3 halftime lead and carried a 21-6 advantage into the fourth quarter. Then, Caleb Williams sparked a stunning 25-point final period, completing Chicago’s comeback and sending the Packers home with a 31-27 defeat.
Still, Packers fans clearly believe one postseason loss does not erase years of dominance.
One supporter argued, “Packers have owned the Bears for a while. The recency bias off 1 year is crazy.”
Packers have owned the Bears for a while. The recency bias off 1 year is crazy
— Ryan Gosling (@WIConservative1) August 20, 2026
Another added, “Chicago improving offensively matters, but beating LaFleur consistently is what changes this rivalry.”
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For much of this century, the Green Bay Packers controlled this rivalry. Green Bay won 11 straight meetings from 2019 through 2024 and erased Chicago’s long-standing series lead. The Packers lead the regular-season series 108-96-6.
The rivalry reignited when the Bears hired Ben Johnson as head coach. During his introductory press conference, Johnson discussed the NFC North and called out Matt LaFleur. Their rivalry began during Johnson’s time as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator, when he faced LaFleur twice each season.
According to insiders, LaFleur did not expect the attention and felt blindsided by the sudden jab. From there, the tension only grew.
Postgame handshakes turned colder, while Johnson’s comments from his introductory press conference with the Bears resurface often.
“And to be quite frank with you, I kinda enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year,” Johnson said after he became the Bears’ head coach, reflecting on his team in Detroit.
Now, Jordan Love and the Packers enter the new season with the heartbreak against Chicago still fresh in their minds. Meanwhile, Johnson has helped raise expectations around the Bears after their breakout season.
