The Bears–Packers rivalry is a
National Football League (NFL)
rivalry between the
Chicago Bears and the
Green Bay Packers. The two teams have a combined 70 members in the
Pro Football Hall of Fame (37 for Chicago and 33 for Green Bay), have won a combined 22
NFL championships (13 for Green Bay and 9 for Chicago, first and second place among all NFL teams), and includes five
Super Bowl championships (four for Green Bay and one for Chicago). They hold the top two spots for most wins all-time; the Bears had the record from 1921 until 2022, when the Packers took over in a game between the two teams, who were tied at 786 wins going into the game.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
They are two of the oldest teams in the NFL.[9][10] The Bears were founded as the Decatur Staleys, a
works team of the
A. E. Staley Manufacturing Company, in 1919; they turned professional in 1920 and joined the American Professional Football Association (APFA), forerunner of the NFL, as a charter member later that same year, then moved to Chicago in 1921 and becoming the Bears in 1922. The Packers were founded similarly in 1919, sponsored by first the
Indian Packing Company, then the Acme Packing Company, and joined the APFA in 1921. The Packers currently have the most wins in NFL history.[11]
The rivalry began in
1921 and is the league's most played, with 208
regular-season and
post-season games.[12] It has been renewed annually in all but two seasons since 1921. They were not scheduled to play each other in 1922 and both meetings were canceled in 1982 due to the NFLPA strike, making the
Lions–Packers rivalry the longest continuous rivalry in the NFL (the Packers and
Detroit Lions have played each other at least twice a season since 1932).[13]
The Packers and Bears have played in the same conference or division since the NFL went to a conference format in 1933. They played in the NFL's Western Conference from 1933 to 1970, and have been in the
NFC North since 1970 (known as the NFC Central from 1970 to 2001). As such, they have usually played each other twice every regular season since 1933, except for the 1982 strike. It is the most historic NFC North rivalry. The Bears held the winning record against the Packers for many decades, at one point, having led the series by as many as 24 games (in 1960 and again in 1992). The Packers surpassed the Bears in 2017 and now lead the series, 107–95–6. The Bears and Packers have met twice in the
NFL playoffs, with the Bears winning a 1940 divisional round playoff game 33–14 and the Packers winning the 2010 NFC Championship Game 21–14.[14][15]
Since 1992, the Packers have dominated the rivalry with a 50–15 record against Chicago, including the aforementioned 2010 NFC Championship Game.[16][17]
Notable games and moments
1920s–1950s
Staleys 20, Packers 0 (November 27, 1921) – The two organizations played for the first time in 1921 at Chicago, when the Bears were named the Chicago Staleys. Bears'
Gaylord "Pete" Stinchcomb scored the game's first touchdown on a 45-yard run. The Bears shut out the Packers 20–0 in their first meeting, and the rivalry was born. A year later, the Staleys changed their team name to the Bears.
Bears 3, Packers 0 (November 23, 1924) – The Bears–Packers rivalry can be credited for the first ever ejection of players for fighting during an NFL game. The Bears'
Frank Hanny and Packers'
Tillie Voss were ejected before the end of the first half as verbal exchanges led to punches being thrown. Two years later, Hanny was ejected once again in a game versus Green Bay.
Packers 7, Bears 0 (September 28, 1930) – The Packers shut out the Bears for the fifth consecutive game in this contest which is the longest such streak in the series. The streak began in 1928 when the Packers defeated the Bears 6–0 on December 9 of
that season.[18] In
1929, the Packers shut out the Bears three times, 23–0, 14–0, and 25–0 en route to their first
NFL championship.[19][20] On November 9, the Bears finally scored on the Packers although they came up short in the final score 13–12.[21] The Packers then went on to win their second consecutive
NFL title that season.[22]
Packers 7, Bears 0 (September 22, 1935) – On the first play of the game, rookie receiver
Don Hutson scored on an 83-yard touchdown pass from
Arnie Herber for the only score of the game. This was Hutson's first career reception and touchdown in what would become a historic Hall of Fame career.[23]
Bears 30, Packers 3 (September 20, 1936) – During a dominant Bears victory, Packers fan Emmett Platten, out of frustration, ran out onto the field and punched Bears lineman
Ted Rosequist, believing Rosequist had committed several dirty plays on the Packers. Rosequist was knocked out by the punch and had to be removed from the game.[24] Platten received no actual punishment for his actions, but was publicly admonished by the Green Bay Press Gazette newspaper.
Packers 16, Bears 14 (November 2, 1941) – The Bears came into the game undefeated and seemingly invincible. Over their first five games, they defeated their rivals by an unprecedented 157 points.[25] However, the Packers upset them in this game which was the Bears lone defeat that season. The Associated Press wrote of the game that the "Chicago Bears myth is broken".[26] Chicago fans made accusations that the game had been fixed, and it was suggested that the Packers had employed a "secret" defensive scheme. The Packers had built a 16–0 lead through the first three quarters of play before the Bears mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter coming up just short of a win.[27]
Bears 33, Packers 14 (December 14, 1941) – In the first playoff meeting between the two rivals, the Bears defeated the Packers 33–14 in a one-game-playoff to determine the Western Division championship. After the Packers, the Bears defeated the
New York Giants en route to their fourth
NFL Championship. Until the 2010 post-season, this remained the only playoff meeting between the teams.
Bears 52, Packers 31 (November 6, 1955) – The Bears and Packers played the highest-scoring game of their series at Soldier Field in the 1955 season. The Bears created a huge 45–3 lead, but the Packers were able to score 28 points in the fourth quarter; by the game's end, the Bears beat the Packers 52–31, with the two teams combining for 83 points. This was also the last game that
George Halas coached the Bears in against the Packers until 1958 due to a temporary break from coaching.
Packers 21, Bears 17 (September 29, 1957) – The Packers hosted the Bears in the inaugural game of their brand new stadium, initially called New City Stadium (later changed to
Lambeau Field in 1965). Among the attendees to the game included NFL Commissioner
Bert Bell, United States Vice President
Richard Nixon, actor
James Arness, and Miss America 1958,
Marilyn Van Derbur. Playing behind several times during the game, the Packers finally were able to gain the lead in the 4th quarter on a 6-yard touchdown pass from
Babe Parilli to
Gary Knafelc for the winning points.
Packers 9, Bears 6 (September 27, 1959) – In the debut game of new Packers head coach,
Vince Lombardi, the Packers fell behind the Bears 6–0, until Jim Taylor scored on a 5-yard touchdown run, giving the Packers the lead. Dave Hanner followed the touchdown with a safety, sacking Bears quarterback Ed Brown in the Bears' endzone to cap off the victory. The Packers celebrated their first win under their new coach by carrying him on their shoulders after the game.
1960s–1970s
Packers 31, Bears 28 (November 12, 1961) – The Packers built up an impressive 31–7 lead in the game, but the Bears made a furious comeback with three unanswered touchdowns to make the score 31–28. Still, the Packers were able to win the game; they would go on to win the
NFL Championship that year against the
New York Giants.
Packers 49, Bears 0 (September 30, 1962) –
Vince Lombardi's Packers shutout
George Halas' Bears, 49–0 at
City Stadium, the Packers largest margin of victory in the rivalry. The team repeated that score against the
Philadelphia Eagles six weeks later on Nov 11, 1962. The games remain a Packers team record for most points in a shutout victory. After again defeating the Bears later in the season, this time by a score of 38–7, the Packers won their 8th
NFL championship. Motivated by the two humiliating losses to the Packers, Halas spent the off-season focusing on beating the Packers.
Bears 26, Packers 7 (November 17, 1963) – The Bears and Packers, both with 8–1 records, met at Wrigley Field to play for first place in the Western Conference. Chicago, behind a dominant defense, got a 26–0 lead and held on to win 26–7, completing a sweep of the Packers in the
1963 season and handling Green Bay only two losses of the season. The Bears finished the season with an
NFL championship victory over the
New York Giants once again, claiming their 8th NFL Championship.
Packers 23, Bears 12 (September 13, 1964) – Remembered as the "Free Kick Game" because the Packers invoked the surprising "
Fair catch kick rule", which allows for a place or drop kick field goal attempt from the spot of a fair catch.
Elijah Pitts fair caught a Bears punt on the Bears' 48-yard-line just before the end of the first half. Packers' coach Vince Lombardi opted to attempt a free kick. Confusion ensued as neither team had ever so much as even practiced a free kick. The Packers lined up at the line of scrimmage with
Bart Starr holding for
Paul Hornung. Hornung made the 52-yard field goal as the first half ended. The Packers stunned all in attendance with the kick and won the game 23–12.
Bears 13, Packers 10 (November 3, 1968) – The Bears got their revenge on the Packers, beating them 13–10 on a fair catch free kick by
Mac Percival at the 43-yard line after a Packers punt with 26 seconds left in the game. Percival kicked a game-winner the week before against the
Minnesota Vikings.[28][29]
1980s
Packers 12, Bears 6 (September 7, 1980) – With the score tied 6–6 and the game in overtime, Packers kicker
Chester Marcol was called in to attempt a game-winning field goal. The Bears'
Alan Page managed to break through and block the field goal, with the football hitting his helmet. The ball rebounded to Marcol, and, carrying the ball, he crossed the goal line to score the winning touchdown for the Packers.
Bears 61, Packers 7[30] (December 7, 1980) – In the game, the Bears scored eight offensive touchdowns. After the Packers had suffered the second-most lopsided defeat in their history, Bart Starr charged across the field to confront Bears coach
Neill Armstrong. Starr was upset because Bears defensive coordinator
Buddy Ryan had the Bears blitzing from all angles in the fourth quarter, even after the Packers inserted backup quarterback
David Whitehurst with the score 48–7.[31] "Bart Starr was upset," Armstrong said after the game. "He did the talking and I did the listening. He said he'd rather not hear what I had to say, something to that effect, and he left." Two years later,
Bill Tobin, the Bears' vice president of player personnel at the time, revealed that he had been instructed by general manager Jim Finks during the off-season to study film and decode the Packers' signal system for relaying plays to the quarterback. Tobin, who had been in the Packers' front office during the Devine years, had been fired by Starr in 1975 as part of a wholesale housecleaning. "I went at it like a tiger does good meat," Tobin said at the time.
Bears 23, Packers 7 (October 21, 1985) – The world was introduced to rookie defensive lineman
William "The Refrigerator" Perry on
Monday Night Football.[32] In goal line situations, Bears head coach
Mike Ditka used Perry, who weighed roughly 300 lbs in the fullback position. Twice, Perry led the way for Bears legend
Walter Payton on two- and one-yard touchdown runs. In the second quarter, "the Fridge" was given the ball and plunged into the end zone for one of the heaviest touchdowns in NFL history. The Bears won 23–7, and "The Fridge" was born.
Bears 16, Packers 10 (November 10, 1985) – Before the game, the Packers placed horse manure in the Bears locker room.[32] Two weeks after the Monday Night Game, tempers reached a boiling point in the rivalry. Packers cornerback
Mark Lee was ejected after he and Bears running back Walter Payton went flying over a bench in the first quarter.[33] A few minutes later, Packers safety
Ken Stills was flagged for hitting
Matt Suhey of the Bears well after the whistle. The very next month, the Bears would release their song
The Super Bowl Shuffle (two months before they won the Super Bowl), making them the only team of any professional sport to record a US Hot 100 hit and receive a Grammy nomination.
Bears 12, Packers 10 (November 23, 1986) – In Week 12 of the 1986 season Green Bay defensive tackle
Charles Martin wore a towel with a hit list of specific Bears numbers written on it, such as No. 34 Walter Payton, No. 9
Jim McMahon, and others.[34] Following a McMahon interception Martin came up from behind and body slammed him to the turf purposely well after the whistle[33] separating McMahon's shoulder and ending the quarterback's season. Martin was suspended for two games, at the time the longest suspension in NFL history.[35]
Packers 14, Bears 13 (November 6, 1989) – This became known as the
Instant Replay Game.[36] Packers quarterback
Don Majkowski led the Packers to a comeback with an apparent game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver
Sterling Sharpe. The play was called a touchdown, but line judge Jim Quirk had called a penalty on Majkowski for being beyond the line of scrimmage when he threw the pass. A nervous and tense crowd at
Lambeau Field waited as the call went up to the instant replay official. Several minutes later, the call came down and the touchdown was awarded as recorded by instant replay, providing the Packers their first victory over the Bears since 1984. This led to a change in the "illegal forward pass" rule which defined when to consider a passer past the line of scrimmage.[37]The rule used to be judged by the position of the ball instead of the passer's feet. Bears coach Mike Ditka ordered that an asterisk be placed next to the result in all team publications.
1990s
Packers 33, Bears 6 (October 31, 1994) – Playing with a severely bruised hip in a driving rainstorm at
Soldier Field on Halloween Night,
Brett Favre rushes for a career-high 58 yards – including a 36-yard touchdown in the second quarter when he leaped over a Bears defender.[38] After the game Favre said "Maybe
Gale Sayers (who had his number retired that night along with
Dick Butkus) got excited about that one".[39] With a win in that game, Green Bay began a ten-game winning streak against the Bears as Favre was considered a "Bear-killer". This game marked the beginning of two streaks in the series. The Packers won ten consecutive games in the series (the longest between the two clubs) and also eleven consecutive away games – a streak that did not end until the 2005 season.[40]Throwback uniforms were worn by both teams.
Packers 27, Bears 24 (September 11, 1995) – Packers QB
Brett Favre throws a
99-yard touchdown pass to
Robert Brooks – one of only 13 times in NFL history a 99-yard TD pass has ever been completed.[41] Green Bay stormed to a 27–7 lead and had 431 yards on offense compared to Chicago's 243, Although Chicago scored 17 unanswered at the end, they came up just short as time expired. The game was featured nationally on
Monday Night Football.[42]
Packers 35, Bears 28 (November 12, 1995) – Coming into this much-anticipated matchup, first place in the NFC Central division was on the line. A victory would give the Packers the same record as the Bears (6–4) and would mean a series sweep, giving Green Bay the head-to-head tie-breaker should the teams be tied at season's end. Brett Favre had a badly sprained ankle, which kept his status for the game uncertain. Not only did Favre start, but he had his best game of the season up to that point. He completed 25 of 33 passes for 336 yards and a career-high five touchdowns. Bears QB
Erik Kramer also had a solid game, going 23 of 38 for 318 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. The teams combined for 800 yards of offense. The game was not decided until Kramer threw an incomplete pass in the Packers' end zone on the final play of the game.[43]
Packers 24, Bears 23 (October 12, 1997) – In one of the more back-and-forth contests in the rivalry, the Bears got off to a 10–0 lead thanks in part to a rushing touchdown by
Raymont Harris in the first quarter before the Packers came back to take a 14–10 halftime lead due to a rushing score by
Dorsey Levens. In the third quarter, Erik Kramer ran for a three-yard touchdown to put the Bears back in front, 17–14. However, in the waning seconds of the third quarter, Brett Favre connected with
Mark Chmura for a touchdown. The Packers led, 21–17, then extended their lead to 24–17. The Bears marched down the field and scored when Kramer connected with
Chris Penn with less than two minutes left. In an "all-or-nothing" maneuver, the Bears went for a two-point conversion. The pass fell incomplete, essentially preserving the win for the Packers.[44]
Bears 14, Packers 13 (November 7, 1999) – The Bears defeated the Packers for the first time since
1993 on a blocked field goal by
defensive tackleBryan Robinson and was the first game in the series played after the death of
Walter Payton. This was also the game in which Brett Favre surpassed
Ron Jaworski's record for most consecutive starts by a quarterback.[45]
2000s
Packers 34, Bears 21 (October 7, 2002) – This Monday night contest at
Memorial Stadium in
Champaign, Illinois, was the only Bears home game in the entire series that was played outside of Chicago. Brett Favre threw an 85-yard TD pass to Driver in the first quarter—the second longest of his career to that point (both against the Bears). At the time,
Soldier Field was undergoing a major renovation; the renovated stadium would later reopen in 2003 between the Bears and Packers.[46]
Bears 26, Packers 0 (September 10, 2006) – In the opening week of the season, the Bears handed Brett Favre his first shutout in his 16-year career, winning 26–0 in
Green Bay. The Bears' offense, criticized for being conservative, opened the game with a 49-yard touchdown pass from
Rex Grossman to
Bernard Berrian. This also marked the first game in which the Bears'
Devin Hester returned a punt for a touchdown.[47]
Bears 20, Packers 17 (December 22, 2008) – The coldest game in recorded Bears history featured a temperature at kickoff of 2 degrees and −13 degrees with wind chill. The Packers traveled to Soldier Field on a Monday night, where a victory against the Bears would have ended their playoff hopes. The Bears had to rally from a 14–3 score at the half. The Bears were able to score after a turnover on a Packers punt return. The Packers were on the verge of finishing a game-winning drive when
Mason Crosby's field goal attempt was blocked by
Alex Brown, pushing the game to overtime. The Bears took the first possession in overtime and won the game on a 38-yard field goal by
Robbie Gould.
2010s
Bears 20, Packers 17 (September 27, 2010) – The 2–0 Packers traveled to Chicago for an early season showdown with the 2–0 Bears for the NFC North lead.
Aaron Rodgers threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to
Greg Jennings to open the scoring in the first quarter.
Mason Crosby made it 10–0 with 4:45 left in the second quarter, but
Jay Cutler drove the Bears down and connected with
Greg Olsen for a touchdown with 31 seconds left. Late in the 3rd quarter,
Julius Peppers blocked a 37-yard field goal attempt by
Mason Crosby to keep it 10–7 Packers.
Devin Hester then opened the 4th quarter with a 62-yard punt return for a touchdown to make it 14–10 Bears.
Aaron Rodgers led the Packers on a drive that resulted in him getting into the end zone on a 3-yard scamper to make it 17–14. However, the Packers were left to regret a sloppy performance, as they recorded a team record 18 penalties. The Bears took advantage, with Robbie Gould kicking a field goal with 4:03 left and then 0:08 left to claim a 20–17 victory. This would be the last time the Bears beat the Packers at Soldier Field until the
2018 season.
Packers 10, Bears 3 (January 2, 2011) – The 9–6 Packers hosted the 11–4 Bears in a must-win game in order to enter the playoffs. Even though the Bears had already locked up a bye and had nothing to play for, Coach Lovie Smith played all of his starters to try to prevent the Packers from making the playoffs.[48] With both teams coming off of high scoring victories, a shoot-out was anticipated. However, the frozen tundra yielded a defensive battle, as the teams were tied 3–3 late in the fourth quarter. With 2:50 remaining, Aaron Rodgers hit tight end Donald Lee for a 1-yard touchdown pass to take a 10–3 lead.[49][50]
Packers 21, Bears 14 (January 23, 2011,
NFC Championship Game) – This was the first time the two teams had met in the playoffs since the 1940 season. The Green Bay Packers started off strong with an early 14–0 lead on an
Aaron Rodgers rushing TD. Bears' quarterback,
Jay Cutler, was injured late in the second quarter, and was unable to continue. After Bears' quarterback
Todd Collins proved ineffective, going 0 for 4 on two drives, the Bears brought in
Caleb Hanie, who led them to a 1-yard touchdown run by
Chester Taylor to make it 14–7. On the very next Bears drive, however, Hanie would be intercepted by
B. J. Raji, who took it to the end zone to make it 21–7 late in the game. The Bears would answer with another TD. With one more drive to tie the game, Hanie threw his second interception, this time to
Sam Shields to end the game and send Green Bay to the Super Bowl.[51] The Packers went on to win
Super Bowl XLV over the
Pittsburgh Steelers, becoming the NFC's first sixth-seeded team (and second wild card team) to win the Super Bowl.[52]
Bears 27, Packers 20 (November 4, 2013) – Heading into this Monday Night match-up at Lambeau Field, Bears' quarterback Jay Cutler was sidelined with a groin injury. Thus, backup quarterback
Josh McCown played in Cutler's stead. In the first drive of the game, Packers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers was sacked by
Shea McClellin, fracturing Rodgers' left collarbone and sent him out of the game. McCown threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns, and no interceptions. Packers backup quarterback
Seneca Wallace threw for 114 yards and no touchdowns, with one interception. The Bears won the game 27–20 to end a six-game losing streak to the Packers. Aaron Rodgers would be out for 7 weeks, eventually returning in Week 17 against the Bears for the NFC North title.
Packers 33, Bears 28 (December 29, 2013) – In a game with the NFC North Championship on the line, the Packers faced off against the Bears. The game was notable for a Rodgers fumble to a touchdown that occurred when most players from both teams believed the play to be an incomplete pass. The game also showcased an offensive shootout in the second half, including Bears quarterback Jay Cutler throwing for two touchdowns. However, the Packers ended their last drive converting on 4th down three times, most notably in a long 4th and 8 completion to
Randall Cobb for a touchdown that would win the game and deliver Green Bay its 3rd consecutive NFC North title and kept the Bears out of the playoffs.
Packers 55, Bears 14 (November 6, 2014) – Aaron Rodgers tied an NFL record with 6 touchdown passes in the first half in a blowout win for the Packers, the most lopsided win for the Packers over the Bears since 1962 and their highest point total in a game since 1945. Bears' kickoff returner
Chris Williams tied an NFL record with 10 kickoff returns in a game, one of which went for a 101-yard touchdown.
Bears 17, Packers 13 (November 26, 2015) – On the night of
Brett Favre's jersey retirement, the Bears met the Packers at Lambeau Field for a Thanksgiving match-up. With a 4–6 record and having lost to the Packers earlier in the year, Chicago entered the game as huge underdogs. While the Bears' offense stalled in the first quarter, the Packers took a 7-point lead on a touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to
Eddie Lacy. In the second quarter, the Bears scored two touchdowns, while the Packers settled for two field goals, making the score 14–13 at halftime. The Bears scored one more field goal in the fourth quarter while their defense pitched a second half shutout, including a goal line stand in the game's final seconds.
Packers 30, Bears 27 (December 18, 2016) – With the Packers needing a win to move within a game of the NFC North lead, they entered Soldier Field during one of the coldest Chicago Bears games on record. Tied 10–10 at halftime, Green Bay surged to a 27–10 advantage in the third quarter, before the Bears made a run of their own in the fourth quarter to bring them within 3 points and in striking distance of the Green Bay end zone. Green Bay held the Bears to a field goal after a goal-line stand. During the Packers' ensuing possession, quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed a 60-yard pass to
Jordy Nelson which led to a Packers field goal as time expired.
Packers 24, Bears 23 (September 9, 2018) – After an off-season in which both teams made massive player acquisitions, most notably the Bears having acquired linebacker
Khalil Mack, the two teams met on Sunday Night Football for a highly anticipated Week 1 matchup. The Bears struck first with a 2-yard touchdown run by quarterback
Mitchell Trubisky. After the two teams exchanged three and outs, Chicago ended the 1st quarter up 7–0. The Bears would later add to the lead with a
Cody Parkey field goal to make it 10–0. Late in the second quarter, defensive lineman
Roy Robertson-Harris knocked Aaron Rodgers out with a knee injury and the Bears capitalized with Mack getting a pick-six off Packers backup
DeShone Kizer. Rodgers would return to the game in third quarter down 20–0, and led the Packers on a scoring drive culminating in a
Mason Crosby field goal to end the third quarter with the Bears leading 20–3. However, the Packers outscored the Bears 21–3 off three Rodgers touchdown passes, to take a 24–23 lead with just over 2 minutes left. The Packers would hang on to win by that score. The 17-point fourth-quarter comeback for the Packers represented their largest in franchise history. However, the teams would head in opposite directions going forward.
Bears 24, Packers 17 (December 16, 2018) – Following their Week 1 meeting, the Bears and Packers had gone in opposite directions during the 2018 season. The 5-7-1 Packers and 9-4 Bears met in Soldier Field for a Week 15 showdown with major implications in the playoff race for both teams. The Bears needed a win to clinch the NFC North, while a Packers victory would keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Led by a dominant defensive performance and two touchdown passes from Mitchell Trubisky, the Bears would win the game 24-17 (their first win over the Packers at Soldier Field since
2010) and clinched the NFC North while eliminating the Packers from playoff contention. Linebacker
Khalil Mack would sack Aaron Rodgers 2.5 times while safety
Eddie Jackson intercepted Rodgers late in the fourth quarter to seal the Bears victory (and also breaking Rodgers' NFL-record streak of 402 consecutive passes without an interception). The Packers would finish the season 6-9-1 (their first time since 1990–91 with back-to-back losing seasons) while the Bears would finish 12–4, losing in the Wild Card round to the
Eagles in the
Double Doink Game.
Packers 10, Bears 3 (September 5, 2019) – 2019 was the NFL's
100th season. It was also the Chicago Bears'
100th season in the NFL. The NFL decided to pay tribute to its 100th season by deciding the match up of the
first game of their season on Thursday with the NFL's longest rivalry the Packers and the Bears at Soldier Field.[53] The decision would break the NFL's yearly tradition of their first game being the defending Super Bowl champions at their home field which would've been the
New England Patriots at
Gillette Stadium since the Patriots won
Super Bowl LIII the previous year. The Bears' only points in the game would be a field goal in the 1st quarter while the Packers scored a touchdown in the 2nd quarter and a field goal in the fourth quarter as the Packers won the game 10–3. The game was officially sealed when two newly signed Packers free agents, safety
Adrian Amos and linebacker
Preston Smith made plays that ended the Bears' final two offensive drives.
Packers 21, Bears 13 (December 15, 2019) – The Bears and Packers would meet at Lambeau Field in a Week 15 matchup that, like the 2018 matchup, would have major playoff implications for both teams. The Packers needed a win to keep their hopes for an NFC North title alive, while the Bears needed a win plus a
Vikings loss to stay alive in the playoff hunt. After the Packers raced to a 21–3 lead in the third quarter, the Bears would score 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 21–13. It took until the game's final play to seal the game, as the final play of the game was a botched lateral by the Bears that was recovered by the Packers'
Tramon Williams. In a role reversal of 2018, the Packers eliminated the Bears from playoff contention with the win and clinched the NFC North a week later with a Monday Night win at the Vikings. The Packers would finish the season 13–3, falling to the
49ers in the NFC Championship Game, while the Bears finished the season 8–8.
2020s
Packers 35, Bears 16 (January 3, 2021) – The Packers defeated the Bears in the final game of the season to clinch the only first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs as the #1 seed.[54][55] The Bears could have clinched the NFC's #7 seed and final playoff berth with a win, but were able to get into the playoffs anyway thanks to an
Arizona Cardinals loss later that day.[56][57]
Packers 28, Bears 19 (December 4, 2022) – Both teams entered this game tied with the most wins all-time at 786.[1][2][3] The Packers came away with a victory to take the all-time wins record from the Bears, who had held it since 1921.[4][5][6][7][8] This was Rodgers' final start in the series, as he was traded to the
New York Jets the following offseason.[58] Rodgers finished with a 25-5 record against the Bears as a member of the Packers, the most wins by any quarterback against the Bears.[59] Rodgers' career win percentage against the Chicago Bears (.833) marks the third-highest win percentage of any NFL quarterback against an individual team (minimum 27 games played), only surpassed by
Ben Rothelisberger vs. the
Cleveland Browns (.867) and
Tom Brady vs. the
Buffalo Bills (.917).[60]
Playoffs
The Bears and Packers have made it to the playoffs in the same year five times:
1941: The Bears and Packers finished with identical 10–1 records (splitting the two games with each other and winning all of their remaining games) to finish tied atop the NFL Western Division. At the time, only the two division champions made it to the post-season but ties were broken with a playoff game. The Bears won the playoff game 33–14 and wet on to win the
NFL Championship. The teams did not meet in the playoffs again until the 2010 NFC Championship Game.
1994: Both teams entered the playoffs as Wild Card teams and won their respective first-round games. They each lost in the second round – Green Bay to the
Dallas Cowboys and Chicago to the
San Francisco 49ers.
2001: The Bears won the NFC Central division and clinched a first round bye as the #2 seed. The Packers were a #4 seeded Wild Card team and defeated the
San Francisco 49ers in the first round. Both teams lost in the second round – Green Bay to the
St. Louis Rams and Chicago to the
Philadelphia Eagles.
2010: The two teams met on the last day of the season in what was a must-win for Green Bay. The Packers won 10–3 to clinch the 6-seed, while the Bears had already secured a first-round bye as the 2-seed. Green Bay defeated the
Philadelphia Eagles and
Atlanta Falcons, while Chicago defeated the
Seattle Seahawks to set up the rivals' second postseason meeting in the NFC Championship Game. Many fans of both teams describe the game as the biggest in the history of the rivalry, with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. The Packers ultimately prevailed 21–14[51] and went on to beat the
Pittsburgh Steelers in
Super Bowl XLV.[52]
2020: The two teams met on the last day of the regular season in Chicago with playoff implications on both sides. The Packers won the game 35–16 to clinch the #1 seed,[54][55] but the Bears were able to clinch the #7 seed thanks to an
Arizona Cardinals loss to the
Los Angeles Rams later that day.[56][57] The Bears lost to the
New Orleans Saints in the first round. Had the Bears won, they would have played the Packers in the second round. The Packers made it to the NFC Championship Game, which they lost the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Statistics and records
As of January 7, 2024 there have been 208 games between the two teams—most in NFL history—since their first league game in 1921, of which Green Bay has won 107 games, Chicago 95, and there have been 6 ties.[61][62] The largest margin of victory was a 61–7 Bears win in 1980. The longest winning streak is held by the Packers at 10 games from 1994 to 1998 and 2019 to 2024. After beating the Bears four times in 2011, the Packers became only the second team in NFL history to defeat the same opponent four times in one calendar year (the
Los Angeles Raiders defeated the
Denver Broncos four times in 1994).[63]
Club success
As of
2020, the Bears and Packers have won a combined 22 championships in the league's history.
Packers join the APFA. Staleys win 1921 APFA Championship. Only meeting in the series in which the Bears were based in Decatur and were called the Staleys.
Bears take a 24-game lead in the all-time series with the Packers after their season-opening win, the largest lead in the rivalry's history by either team. The Bears later matched their own record in 1992. Packers lose
1960 NFL Championship.
Packers' home game played at
Milwaukee County Stadium. While the Packers have played a few home games per year in Milwaukee from 1932 to 1994, this was the only Bears–Packers regular season game to take place in Milwaukee.
Bears' 61–7 win is the largest margin of victory in the series. Packers win game in Green Bay on a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown in overtime.
Brett Favre's first season with the Packers. After their win at Lambeau Field, the Bears matched the record for the biggest lead in their overall series with the Packers at 24 games.
In a reversal of the 2001 season, the Packers post a 13–3 record with two of their losses coming to the Bears.
Brett Favre's final season in Green Bay. In 32 starts with the Packers, Favre posted a 22–10 record against the Bears. Currently the last time in which the Bears swept the Packers in a season.
Bears linebacker
Shea McClellin knocks Aaron Rodgers out of the game in Green Bay with a broken collarbone, which sidelines him for seven weeks. Rodgers returns for a win-or-go home contest at Soldier Field in week 17 and delivers the Packers a third consecutive NFC North title with a memorable 48-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Randall Cobb with 45 seconds left.
Game in Green Bay played on
Thanksgiving Day. While both teams have played many games on Thanksgiving Day (usually against NFC North rival
Detroit), this is the only Thanksgiving Day matchup between the two teams.
Packers come back from 20–3 4th quarter deficit to win the game in Green Bay. With that win, the Packers take their largest ever lead in the all-time series up to that point. Bears win game in Chicago to clinch the NFC North and eliminate the Packers from postseason contention.
Game in Chicago
opened the 2019 season. Game in Green Bay marked the 200th game in the rivalry. In a role reversal from 2018, the Packers eliminate the Bears from postseason contention with a 21–13 win in Green Bay.
Game in Green Bay marked the Packers' 100th win in the series. The Packers became the first franchise to record 100 wins over two other franchises, having previously done so against the
Detroit Lions. Packers clinch #1 seed in the NFC in their win in Chicago in week 17.
After Green Bay's win in Chicago, Green Bay surpassed Chicago as the all-time winningest franchise in the NFL.[64] Final start in the series for Aaron Rodgers.
First start in the rivalry for
Jordan Love.[65] The Packers clinched the final wild card spot in their week 18 win. Packers have won the last 10 meetings (2018-present) and the last 8 meetings in Green Bay (2016-present).