The oldest rivalry in the NFL is between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears, so it’s no secret that the two sides hate each other. Both teams still make that pretty clear when they win, and unfortunately for the Packers, Chicago currently has bragging rights.
That has resulted in the Bears sending a lot of shots Green Bay’s way, with Chicago tight end Colston Loveland recently admitting that the Bears talk about beating the Packers everyday. That led to ESPN Milwaukee radio host Kyle Wallace going on a rant where he criticized Chicago for making Green Bay its northern star.
However, ESPN Madison radio host Jim Rutledge delivered a brutally honest response to Wallace, and any other Packers fans in denial about the state of the rivalry right now. Rutledge argued that Wallace can’t make that argument when Green Bay has lost three of the last four meetings to Chicago.
"Yeah, the Packers used to matter. They used to be the kings of the North. They used to be the team you had to beat to be able to win the North, and that's not the case anymore. The argument of, 'the Packers are rent-free in the Bears' doesn't hold any water when the Bears have beat your a** three out of four times ... You were in the Bears' head because you used to be dominant! That's not the case anymore."Jim Rutledge (ESPN Madison)
Packers must take back bragging rights against Bears in 2026
As tough as it may be for Green Bay to admit, Rutledge is right. The Packers can’t try to downplay things now just because they’ve been on the losing side of things. Chicago defeated Green Bay in the Wild Card round, and in the final meeting of the regular season. Additionally, the Bears won the Division, so they have every right to talk how they want.
Green Bay has to take it on the chin until the 2026 season starts, when the team will have the opportunity to reassert its dominance over Chicago and the entire NFC North. Additionally, even if the Bears and their fans care about the rivalry more than the Packers do, it’s clearly working out for Chicago.
The Bears are turning up the intensity of the rivalry and Green Bay will either have to match energy, or let the Bears take their lunch everytime they share a field. Of course, no one wants that to be the case, so the Packers need to accept the rivalry for what it is, and make sure they’re ready to defeat the Bears, and every other team in their way.
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