As a lifelong Bears fan who has been on the wrong side of this divisional rivalry for most of my life, I have never had a problem admitting that the Packers were the better team. They had better coaches than the Bears and, for the last three to four decades, two of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. I’ve said countless times that I believe Aaron Rodgers is the greatest pure passer of all time, and that Brett Favre was the last true gunslinger of a dying NFL era. I’ve even argued that if the Packers had a better coach than Mike McCarthy, Aaron Rodgers could have won three Super Bowls.

But times are changing.

Caleb Williams is, without a doubt in my mind, the real deal. Kurt Warner recently said in an interview that to be a good quarterback in the NFL, you have to be either incredibly efficient or incredibly explosive—but great quarterbacks are both. This season, Caleb was one of the most explosive quarterbacks in the NFL while learning one of the most complex offenses in the league.

For just the third time in their storied rivalry, Chicago and Green Bay meet in the postseason with the season hanging in the balance. This is the NFL’s greatest rivalry, and when it matters most for both teams, it becomes something else entirely  intense, ruthless, and unforgettable.

This is Bears vs. Packers!

This is playoff football!

This is your Playoff Preview. 🐻⬇️

The Bears enter Week 17 riding momentum and tightening their grip on the NFC North after a dramatic home victory over their hated rivals, the Green Bay Packers. That win not only energized the fan base at Soldier Field, but also reinforced Chicago’s growing identity as a tough, resilient team built for meaningful January football. Now, the challenge shifts west. Chicago travels to Santa Clara this week to face the San Francisco 49ers. This is your week 17 preview: