The Green Bay Packers and their fans spent most of last season laughing at the ineptitude of the Chicago Bears in the 2024 season, and they once again have the opportunity to do so after they have thoroughly outclassed their rivals in the lead-up to the 2025 NFL Draft in Wisconsin.
The NFL recently released a list of names who will be involved in the extravaganza and help announce picks made in the second and third rounds of the Draft. These names include current players or memorable names from the past, some of whom are in the Hall of Fame. The Bears must not have gotten the memo.
The Packers will have multiple Vince Lombardi-era Hall of Famers in town in linebacker Dave Robinson and 89-year-old guard Jerry Kramer. Recent Packers greats like Clay Matthews, Jordy Nelson, and recently retired Mason Crosby will join the festivities alongside James Jones and Ahman Green.
How do the Bears counter? How about former early 2000s receiver Dez White, who played with the team for four years and never amassed more than 700 yards. Chicago is really bringing the star power! Maybe they can bring Devin Aromashodu next year.
Packers embarrass Bears with Hall of Fame cameos during NFL Draft
While some names on this list fall short of legendary status, the NFL took care to highlight former players who were also Wisconsin alums to get the home crowd even more fired up. White, however, is a Georgia Tech alum. Is he really the only former Bear who was available this weekend?
Richard Ryman of the Green Bay Post-Gazette estimates that around 250,000 people will be in Green Bay for the three-day Draft festivities. The events will include live music for multiple days beforehand, a VIP experience, and Packers-related tours around the stadium. Brad Paisley will cap off the event with a concert.
Chicago may have hosted the draft twice before since it became a traveling roadshow, but Green Bay is doing everything they can to show thei rivals how to properly host this tentpole even. Unless Dez White manages to upstage multiple Hall of Famers, fans should be pretty sure that this event will be dominated by the Packers.