Aaron Rodgers doesn’t hold back about Chicago Bears fans in lively interview ahead of his final NFL season
Chicago Bears fans might not like former Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and for good reason, but the fans certainly left a strong impression on the future Hall of Fame legend.
Chicago Bears fans were likely happy when they heard the news that the 2026 NFL season will be the final dance for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and even happier considering there’s only one long-shot chance they’d have to face him again.
For years, Rodgers tormented the Bears while serving as the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers for the first 18 years of his NFL career. In that span, Rodgers amassed a 25-5 record against the Bears and routinely dominated Chicago on an annual basis.
He was the Boogeyman for a reason inside the city of Chicago. The fans hated #12 and let him know any chance they could. Rodgers even fired back at some fans in 2021 yelling at the crowd at Soldier Field “I still own you” after running in for a touchdown.
While there’s a lot of hate and animosity from the Chicago fanbase, Rodgers himself shared different feelings after reflecting back on his career going into his final season.
Aaron Rodgers shares his true feelings for Chicago Bears fans
“I love Chicago fans,” Rodgers said on the Not Just Football with Cam Heyward podcast. “I know they hate me, but I love Chicago fans. Even when I told them that I owned them, it was because everybody in the front row was flipping me off and screaming at me. But I love that. They are great sports fans, and the interactions were amazing. People were flipping me off in the stands. I love it.”
Rodgers said plenty more on that podcast about other topics and it was clear he wasn’t holding anything back anymore going into his final season, so I believe this was actually genuine. Rodgers really did appreciate Bears fans because they’re what helped make this rivalry so great for so many years.
It’s something that is continuing now to this day. The Bears are not supposed to like the Packers and the Packers are not supposed to like the Bears. That’s how it was, how it is, and how it always will be. And, for Rodgers, he understood the beauty of that.
It’s a shame we won’t get to see Rodgers face off against the Chicago one last time so Bears fans can send him off to retirement, outside of the one long-shot that the Steelers and Bears face off in the Super Bowl. How insane would that game be?
The legacy of Aaron Rodgers will live on through Caleb Williams, and Bears fans should love that
Led by head coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams, the Bears finally got strike back at the Packers last season winning two of the three matchups, including the NFC Wild Card matchup in front of the home crowd at Soldier Field. After last season, this rivalry has never been more alive.
Beyond that, Rodgers’ legacy as a player will live on through Williams, something Bears fans will love. Williams recently referred to Rodgers as a “magician” which is a quality Williams himself is already mastering after modeling parts of his game after Rodgers. Even further, the Bears have been getting Williams and the offense to study Rodgers’ tape this year to learn how to be more efficient and dangerous in scramble situations.
It’s still too early to say that Williams can reach the level Rodgers was in his career with the Packers, but if he does, he could be the one that torments Packers fans for years to come. Wouldn’t that be something?
