The Packers can’t talk their way out of this one. Not after Chicago has the upper hand, not after the Bears have spent plenty of time reminding Green Bay who’s standing on top right now, and not after the latest round of trash talk made the rivalry feel as lopsided as the results have been.
That was the point ESPN Madison radio host Jim Rutledge drove home when he pushed back on the idea that the Bears are somehow obsessed with the Packers in a way that doesn’t matter. Chicago tight end Colston Loveland recently said the Bears talk about beating the Packers everyday, and that set off ESPN Milwaukee radio host Kyle Wallace, who blasted Chicago for making Green Bay its northern star.
Rutledge wasn’t buying the complaint.
"Yeah, the Packers used to matter. They used to be the kings of the North.
They used to be the team you had to beat to be able to win the North, and that's not the case anymore. The argument of, 'the Packers are rent-free in the Bears' doesn't hold any water when the Bears have beat your a** three out of four times ...
You were in the Bears' head because you used to be dominant! That's not the case anymore."
Jim Rutledge (ESPN Madison)
That’s the hard truth Green Bay has to sit with. Chicago has won three of the last four meetings, including the Wild Card round and the final game of the regular season. The Bears also won the Division, which gives them plenty of room to talk and plenty of reason to keep pressing the issue.
For the Packers, the message is simple: the old status quo is gone for now. They can’t lean on history or dismiss the noise while the Bears are collecting the wins. Until the 2026 season arrives, Green Bay is stuck watching Chicago enjoy the bragging rights.
And when that next chance comes, the Packers will need more than pride. They’ll need to match the Bears’ energy and take the rivalry back on the field, where it actually matters.
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