The Green Bay Packers may have made the playoffs in the 2025 NFL season, but the sting of watching the Chicago Bears win the NFC North - and then knocking Green Bay out in the Wild Card round - still lingers in Titletown. For a fanbase that spent decades watching their team dominate this historic rivalry, seeing the Bears on top is a tough pill to swallow.
But even amid the Bears’ recent surge, not everyone’s ready to crown them kings of the North just yet - and that includes one of their own.
Former Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long, never one to sugarcoat things, offered a refreshingly honest take on the current state of the NFC North. Speaking candidly, Long acknowledged that while it was nice to finally see Chicago hold its own in the rivalry, the Packers still sit atop the mountain when it comes to long-term control of the division.
“Well, I think it's also important to take a step back and understand the context of what was happening in the NFC North this year,” Long said. “J.J.
McCarthy in and out health-wise, and when he was in, it was kind of a no-show. The Packers, in my opinion… They still are the team to beat in the NFC North next year.”
That’s not just lip service. Long made it clear he’s fully behind Caleb Williams and head coach Ben Johnson in Chicago, but he also knows there’s still a gap to close.
“We are still the underdogs,” he said. “I want you to understand that because Tucker Kraft will be back… Micah Parsons will be back.
That’s the team that I see.”
And he’s not wrong. The Packers had moments early in the 2025 season that hinted at something special. But as the year wore on, injuries started piling up - and they weren’t minor ones.
Tight end Tucker Kraft was on a tear before his season was cut short. His absence took a bite out of the Packers’ offensive versatility, especially in the red zone.
Then there’s Micah Parsons. His midseason injury was arguably the most impactful loss Green Bay suffered all year.
The defense simply wasn’t the same without him. When Parsons is on the field, the Packers play with a different kind of edge - fast, aggressive, and disruptive.
So yes, the Bears got the better of Green Bay this time. They won the division.
They won the playoff game. But if you ask around the league - and even within the Bears’ own alumni circle - there’s still a sense that the Packers are far from finished.
And let’s be honest: a competitive Bears team makes this rivalry fun again. For years, Green Bay owned this matchup.
Now, it’s a battle. And that’s exactly how it should be.
If the Packers want to reclaim the NFC North in 2026, they’ll have to earn it. The Bears aren’t backing down. But with key players returning and a chip on their shoulder, Green Bay’s got every reason to believe they can get back on top.
The NFC North is heating up - and that’s great news for fans on both sides of the rivalry.