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This is what January football is supposed to feel like in Chicago.
The Chicago Bears welcome the Green Bay Packers to Soldier Field for a Wild Card Round matchup that carries far more weight than a typical playoff opener. It’s not just a rivalry game. It’s not just win-or-go-home. It’s a rare intersection of history, belief, and momentum — one that doesn’t come around often for these two franchises.
For all the shared history between the Bears and Packers, postseason meetings are scarce. They’ve happened only twice. The most recent still lingers: the 2011 NFC Championship Game, when Chicago’s defense kept them alive, opportunities slipped away after Jay Cutler exited with a knee injury, and Green Bay ultimately moved on to a Super Bowl title. Before that, you have to rewind to 1941, when the Bears erased an early deficit at Wrigley Field and went on to win an NFL championship.
That scarcity is what sharpens this moment. For Bears fans, that alone makes this week feel heavier than most Wild Card games.
But this isn’t just about the past. It’s about who the Bears are now, and who they might be becoming.
Tommy Gilligan-Imagn ImagesAt the center of that is Caleb Williams. For decades, the quarterback position defined the imbalance in this rivalry. Favre. Rodgers. Continuity on one side, uncertainty on the other. Williams hasn’t erased that history, but he’s challenged it. He is 2-2 against Green Bay and has already delivered a walk-off overtime touchdown to DJ Moore.
Now, Williams steps into January against the Packers with the chance to turn progress into permanence. This isn’t about numbers or milestones. It’s about whether the Bears finally have the quarterback who can stare down Green Bay when the season is on the line — and respond.
There’s a similar tension surrounding Ben Johnson. Year 1 was supposed to be about the foundation. Instead, the Bears won the NFC North, hosted a playoff game, and beat Green Bay at Soldier Field in the regular season. Beating the Packers again, this time in January, would feel like the moment where “ahead of schedule” becomes something sturdier and more sustainable.
Lose, and the season still matters — but the sting would linger. The Packers have embraced that reality, welcoming the chance to end Chicago’s year. Their fans and the national media have followed suit. Despite a division title and a recent win over Green Bay, the Bears enter as home underdogs, still fighting perception as much as opponents.
That’s the backdrop for Saturday. Not just a playoff game, but a test of belief, trajectory, and staying power. Everything the Bears have built points toward long-term success. But beating the Packers in the postseason? That’s the kind of result that changes how everything else is viewed.
David Banks-Imagn ImagesGame Info
Chicago Bears (2025: 11-6) vs Green Bay Packers (2025: 9-7-1)
TV: Prime Video (Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit, Kaylee Hartung); FOX-32 (Local)Streaming: NFL+Radio: ESPN 1000 AM (Jeff Joniak, Tom Thayer, Jason McKie); LATINO MIX 93.5 FM (Omar Ramos)
Kickoff Time: 7:00 PM CTSite: Soldier Field, Chicago, ILReferee: Adrian HillOdds: Packers -1.5, O/U 44.5 (via BetMGM)
Bears Projected Starters
Jeff Hanisch-Imagn ImagesOffense
QB – Caleb Williams RB – D’Andre Swift WR – Rome Odunze, DJ Moore, Luther Burden III TE – Cole Kmet OL – Ozzy Trapilo, Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, Jonah Jackson, Darnell WrightDefense
DL – Montez Sweat, Andrew Billings, Gervon Dexter Sr., Austin Booker LB – Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards CB – Jaylon Johnson, Nahshon Wright, Kyler Gordon S – Kevin Byard III, Jaquan BriskerSpecialists
Cairo Santos (kicker), Tory Taylor (punter, holder), Scott Daly (long snapper), Devin Duvernay (kick and punt returner)Packers Projected Starters
Offense
QB – Jordan Love RB – Josh Jacobs WR – Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed TE – Luke Musgrave OL – Rasheed Walker, Aaron Banks, Sean Rhyan, Anthony Belton, Zach TomDefense
DL – Rashan Gary, Colby Wooden, Karl Brooks, Kingsley Enagbare LB – Edgerrin Cooper, Quay Walker, Isaiah McDuffie CB – Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine, Javon Bullard S – Xavier McKinney, Evan WilliamsSpecialists
Brandon McManus (kicker), Daniel Whalen (punter, holder), Matt Orzech (long snapper), Keisean Nixon, Matthew Golden (kick and punt returner) Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-WisconsinThree Bears
Every week, our Chicago Bears writers will give you their Bears player to watch in the matchup ahead. Three Bears is a staple of these previews, and with Bears coverage expanding this season, I thought it would be cool to involve all of the Bears thinkers in the exercise.
Patrick Flowers: Caleb Williams — Williams steps into a Bears–Packers playoff game — something that happens rarely enough to feel unreal — with the chance to do more than advance. He can redefine the emotional math of this rivalry. He can give Chicago a postseason memory against Green Bay that doesn’t end in regret or what-ifs. He can make Soldier Field the setting for something that lasts.
Luis Medina: Kevin Byard — The Pro Bowl safety needs to take his game to another level this week. Not only because he is the last line of defense in a secondary that has been chewed up in recent weeks, but he is also the veteran presence who I trust can keep his teammates emotionally cool. Chicago’s defense has five projected starters who are set to make the first-ever playoff appearance. That group needs a leader. Byard can be exactly what this team needs.
Matt Rooney: Kyler Gordon — If the Bears are going to win on Saturday night, their defense is going to need to step up and wreak some havoc. Kyler Gordon is great at that. He thrives playing the run, getting after the quarterback, and in coverage. He needs to provide a much-needed shot in the arm to the Bears’ defense, and if he does, I think they win.
BN Bears Podcast: Bears vs Packers Preview
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