Few rivalries in the NFL can match the history and intensity of the game between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. The league’s oldest rivalry will be renewed in Week 5 at Lambeau Field as the Bears travel to Green Bay for a pivotal NFC North showdown, but Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has no interest in adding fuel to the rivalry through trash talk.
When asked about the Packers-Bears rivalry during Monday’s press conference, LaFleur said that his attention remains firmly on the players who will actually decide the outcome on the field.
“Because this game is about players, and so we'll keep it about the players. You know I'm not the one out there they're playing, so I think that's always been my mentality, and we're going to keep it about those guys,” LaFeur said via Rob Demovsky.
The Bears enter the matchup riding back-to-back victories, including a dominant 23-12 win over the New York Jets in Week 4. LaFleur also expressed his appreciation for the historic rivalry while weighing in on the challenge presented by a Chicago team that has started to build momentum.
Article Continues Below“Don't get me wrong, I love the rivalry. It's awesome, it's great, it's intense, you can feel it on game day, you can feel it throughout the course of the week, and also the significance. They're the defending North champions, so what a great opportunity for us in our home stadium to play against the defending champs.”
Over the decades, the Packers and Bears have produced countless memorable encounters. The rivalry has survived numerous changes throughout the NFL, yet its importance has never faded.
The emotional significance of Packers-Bears remains intact because the matchup represents much more than two teams meeting twice every season. It connects the modern NFL to its earliest history.
As long as Green Bay and Chicago remain in the same division, the NFL’s oldest rivalry will likely continue. Now, it remains to be seen which team will emerge victorious this time and add another memorable moment to this historic rivalry.