The future of the Green Bay Packers organization may be riding on the outcome of the team’s playoff run, and now they know exactly who their opponent will be.
As the No. 7 seed, Green Bay will travel to Soldier Field to take on the No. 2-seeded Chicago Bears over Super Wildcard Weekend.
The NFL has yet to announce the specific date and time of the contest, though the teams will meet at some point between January 10-12 in their third game against one another in just over one month. The league spreads the opening weekend of the postseason across Saturday, Sunday and Monday during the weekend of Round 1.
Traditionally, the NFL schedules the game it believes will be of the least interest to the viewing audience as a whole as the first matchup on Saturday.
Given the legacy of both organizations, not to mention the depth and duration of their rivalry across the sport’s history and the sizable/national fanbases for each franchise, the Packers and Bears are unlikely to play Saturday afternoon.
Packers Lose Fourth Straight Game Ahead of Playoffs
GettyQuarterback Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers lost to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, January 4 in a game that didn’t have any playoff implications for either team. As such, the Packers rested most of their starters in an attempt to preserve health and energy for the looming playoff matchup.
The Bears played a thriller against the Detroit Lions in Week 18, with both teams starting all their major contributors who were healthy enough to play. Chicago fell behind 16-0 but fought back to tie the game at 16-16 in the fourth quarter.
Detroit pulled out the victory via a late field goal, which could have dropped the Bears to the No. 3 spot in the NFC. However, the Washington Commanders bested a Philadelphia Eagles team that also rested most of its top players in Week 18. As such, Chicago held onto the second seed, even despite its defeat, and will host the Packers in Round 1 as a result.
Green Bay is heading into the postseason on a four-game losing streak.
Matt LaFleur May Be Coaching for Packers Job Against Bears
Head coach Matt Lafleur of the Green Bay Packers. (Getty Images)
The stakes for any playoff game are obviously huge. They get even bigger when the two teams are among the oldest and most storied in league history and also happen to be division rivals who have played two barnburners inside of the previous month — splitting those contests, with the home team winning each by one score.
There is potentially even more on the line for Green Bay, as head coach Matt LaFleur could be coaching for his job next weekend.
Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported on Sunday that LaFleur is on the hot seat despite his career regular season record of 76-39-1 and a 3-5 mark in the playoffs that includes two appearances in NFC championship games.
“Matt LaFleur’s job security has been questioned weekly at his press conferences,” Glazer said. “It would be crazy to move on from a guy like that, but he is still [on the hot seat].”
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote something similar on Sunday, adding that Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski will be a top candidate to replace LaFleur if both teams dismiss their head coaches in the days and/or weeks ahead.
“New team president Ed Policy, who grew up a Browns fan, made it clear in June 2024 that neither LaFleur nor [GM Brian] Gutekunst would get contract extensions before the end of the 2025 season,” Florio wrote. “And with both signed through 2026, Policy added that he’s not a fan of lame-duck arrangements. Which means it’ll likely be new contracts or pink slips for the Packers coach and GM once the 2025 campaign ends.”
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