In the NFL there are many rivalries. It can become chaotic and get out of hand sometimes, these rivalries are part of the sport that many fans love, and that keeps the games ever more interesting. Sure you can look at NFL Super Bowl odds, but the real juice is where the rivalries are.
People who grow up in the cities which have strong rivalries get engrossed into it, and it becomes a part of who they are and their lives.
The Packers and the Bears have an intense rivalry, we can’t say it’s the most favored rivalry or the best, but it is certainly one that holds a lot of enjoyment and history.
These two teams are two of the oldest in the NFL, and they have a combined 22 NFL championships, including 5 Super Bowls. Between them the Packers have done better than the Bears, but we can guess that just makes the Bears even more determined.
The Bears were founded in 1919 and turned pro in 1920 joining the American Professional football Association, a forerunner of the NFL. Later on they moved to Chicago and became the Bears in ‘22. The Packers were founded in 1919 and joined the American Professional football Association in 1921.
It is safe to say they have both been around a long time, and this rivalry is as old as they are, having started in 1921.
Their rivalry has been renewed in all but two seasons. Having played 204 regular season games and post season games.
They could not play each other in 1922, or in 1982 due to the NFLPA strike, so, while this rivalry is the oldest, it does make the Packers – Lions the most continuous rivalry in the NFL’s history.
They have played in the same conference and division since 1933, so this is one heated rivalry with close ties. They have played each other twice per year since 1933 aside from the 1982 strike.
The Best Rivalry?
Is it the best rivalry? Who can really say. Some would say yes. There have been plenty of other rivalries though, some simply due to quarterbacks such as Brady vs Manning, or Bengals vs Browns due to their geographical proximity.
In some cases there are entire divisions with rivalries (looking at you NFC East). Some just do not like each other, such as the Ravens and Steelers. However, none of this really counts for the Bears and Packers rivalry.
It started in 1921, and it has just been that way since then. They’ve combined for many huge games and huge moments. In some ways, this rivalry almost has a love-hate taste of a relationship about it.
These teams have had a bit of a dalliance over the years, while the Packers tend to have a slight edge, there has always been a dance of equality going on. In terms of win streaks, different years brought success for different teams. From ‘94-’98 the Packers streak was longest, but from ‘85-’88 it was the Bears.
The Packers rose in the 60s and won 20 out of 25 games against the Bears, however, in the 70s and 80s the Bears had favor, winning 10 out of 11 in the mid 80s alone.
Long Live This Rivalry
One of the reasons many people say that the rivalry is the best is simply due to its longevity. When the teams play each other so often for so long, it’s hard not to get behind it.
When you think of it in terms of length, it’s quite impressive. Since these teams became rivals we have seen the Great Depression, the 2nd World War, the Korean War, Vietnam, The Gulf War, 9-11, Covid-19 and more!
Let us not forget that these two teams are two of the most successful teams in the league as well. They have plenty of Super Bowls under their belts, and a grand amount of Championship titles too!