Highlights
- The Chicago Bears & Green Bay Packers have a historic rivalry in the NFL.
- The Bears struggle to beat the Packers, posting a 2-18 record since 2014.
- Bears rookies like Odunze aim to change this trend, expressing immediate disdain for Green Bay.
The Chicago Bears hate the Green Bay Packers, and vice versa. It’s a rivalry as old as the two teams—which are literally the two oldest in the NFL, which is why many (including GMS) view their rivalry as the greatest the NFL has ever seen.
From the players and coaches to the fans, executives and parking lot attendants—the feeling is always mutual. One problem with the rivalry? The Bears hardly ever beat the Packers.
A new group of Bears rookies and free agents want to change all that, including one potentially franchise-altering wide receiver who seems to have the rivalry’s tone perfected not a week into his Windy City tenure.
Bears rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, expressed his immediate distaste for Green Bay, though he did do so in a seemingly tongue-in-cheek manner while speaking to the host of the popular TikTok show “talk2meshow”:
First day hating the Packers, I already can’t stand ’em. Every time I see green, I nearly puke.
The last decade has been one of the worst for the Bears in the history of the two teams, which dates back to a 20-0 win by the Bears on November 27, 1921, when they were still known as the Chicago Staleys.
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Chicago will look to put more than their Packers losing streak behind them in 2024
The Bears are 2-18 against the Packers dating back to 2014—which led former Packers QB Aaron Rodgers to call himself the Bears’ daddy—and Green Bay is currently on a 10-game winning streak in the all-time series. Chicago hasn’t won consecutive games against the Packers since 2007.
Odunze hasn’t been the only one on the roster to express their distaste for Green Bay this offseason. Defensive end Montez Sweat said he wasn’t keen on keeping the Bears’ losing ways going in Wisconsin in 2024:
I’m letting you know right now, man, I’m not losing to Green Bay this year. I can’t do it, I can’t do it, man. I’m not losing to Green Bay this year. We’ve created a rivalry over there.
If the Bears do finally start beating the Packers on a regular basis, it’s not a stretch to see Odunze in the middle of it, as he’s catching passes from 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams.
The two former Pac-12 rivals could shore up the Bears’ offense for the next decade. Pre-draft evaluation of Odunze was off the charts and the 6-foot-3, 212-pound wide receiver drew a comparison to NFL legend Larry Fitzgerald from top draft analyst Lance Zierlein (via NFL):
He’s a high-volume target at the next level that play-callers can utilize to mismatch finesse cornerbacks. Elite ball skills are often the secret sauce for top NFL receivers, so it should not surprise if Odunze is a Day 1 starter who becomes a top-flight WR1.
Odunze had over 1,100 receiving yards in each of his final two seasons at Washington, and he was a two-time All-Pac-12 selection and a unanimous Associated Press All-American. In 2023, he had 89 receptions for 1,640 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns as he led the Huskies to the College Football Playoff national championship game.
All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise. All salary info via Spotrac.
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