The Green Bay Packers are coming off a brutal road loss in Denver last week. The Broncos are currently the AFC’s No. 1 seed, so there’s no shame in a one-score loss (Green Bay lost 34-26). But the defeat drops the Packers out of first place in the NFC North, and they lost some key players to injury in the process.
But the Packers don’t have long to lick their wounds. Up next, Green Bay travels to Chicago to take on the Bears in a rematch from an instant classic just a few weeks ago. When they faced off in Green Bay, the Packers won by seven, 28-21, when CB Keisean Nixon sealed the game with a fantastic interception in the back of the end zone.
If the Packers win this game, it’ll put them right back in first place in the NFC North. While it’ll be an uphill battle for them to win the NFC’s No. 1 seed — a distinction that will likely be held by the winner of the NFC West, unless Chicago were to win out — they could still easily earn the conference’s No. 2 seed. A loss, however, puts them dangerously close to falling out of the playoff bracket, with the Lions looming to potentially take their spot.
Green Bay Packers S Xavier McKinney on the Bears Rivalry
GettyGREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – SEPTEMBER 11: Xavier McKinney #29 of the Green Bay Packers in action against the Washington Commanders at Lambeau Field on September 11, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
On Thursday, Packers S Xavier McKinney was asked by reporters if this game meant a little something extra since Green Bay and Chicago have been battling back and forth for the lead in the NFC North.
“Yeah, I guess, because it’s the Bears,” McKinney said. “Obviously that rivalry is there, and it’s tense. It’s smoke for us, and it’s smoke for them. So I think we both have that understanding as teams, as organizations, that it’s always going to be a clash. So we’re trying to get that top spot, they’re trying to get the top spot, and this is going to be about who’s going to go out there and compete the hardest, and who’s going to do their job the best. And I think that’s all it’s going to come down to.”
The Packers and Bears have the oldest rivalry in the NFL, and it means more this year than it has in a long, long time. Both teams are near-locks to make the playoffs, but the winner of this game will not only have the leg up in the division, but will stay in the hunt for the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
The Green Bay Packers are Still Reeling From Last Week’s Injuries
Early in the game against the Broncos, WR Christian Watson fell hard on his shoulder trying to catch a pass. While his injury isn’t season-ending, he may miss some time.
More seriously, All-Pro ED Micah Parsons tore his ACL in Denver, ending his season and putting the start of next season in jeopardy, too. The Packers will have to find a way to make their playoff rush and run without Parsons. Down the stretch, they play the Bears, Ravens, and Vikings.
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