The Green Bay Packers haven't announced if they will play or rest their starters in Week 18 against the Chicago Bears. It's a tough decision after what happened in Week 17, and there are fair and reasonable arguments for both sides.

Based on what head coach Matt LaFleur said after the loss to the Minnesota Vikings, it sounds like the starters will be on the field.

"We gotta learn from this and try to move on and get some momentum here," LaFleur said. "We get the Bears coming in, and we gotta try to finish this thing out the right way."

But the healthy way might be the right way.

Seeding scenarios

Obviously, getting the sixth seed and facing the Los Angeles Rams or Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild card round would be helpful. But the Packers don't depend only on themselves for it after the Washington Commanders beat the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football.

So there's an evident value in playing the starters. To have a higher chance or getting the sixth seed, to keep the streak alive against the Chicago Bears, to finish off the regular season on a higher note, and to avoid a disaster 1-5 NFC North record. Those are all fair points, and LaFleur will have to make a decision.

Health as a priority

On the other hand, what's the best chance for the Packers to make something different against the top NFC teams compared to what they did in the regular season? Be close to full health.

They were healthy against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1 and were ahead for most of the game, even though they lost in Brazil. Jaire Alexander did not play all four games against the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings.

Evan Williams, Javon Bullard, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs. All these players have missed time. Jordan Love missed two and a half games, were limited for some others.

While the roster might need a win to get back on track, risking injuries against a divisional opponent motivated to end the rivalry 11-win streak is a serious concern.

Backup quarterback Malik Willis has shown he has what it takes to put the Packers in position to win games, and it's time to give key backups more playing time.

What can't happen

The worst-case scenario is what the Packers did in 2021, when the starters played the first half, and then Matt LaFleur pulled them at halftime, since the Packers had already clinched the first seed in the NFC.

At that time, the Packers ended up losing to the Detroit Lions 37-30, and they still lost wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling to injury. He didn't play in the divisional round against the San Francisco 49ers two weeks later, and his absence was costly.

In that case, the Packers didn't want to keep their starters without a game for two consecutive weeks, since they had a bye in the wild card round.

Now, the Packers are going to play in the wild card round, and that's another reason to rest the starters. They won't have a rest in the playoffs, and any day-to-day type of injury might cost someone a playoff game.

Beating the Bears is good, getting back on track is important. But health is more, and that's what the Packers should prioritize next week.

It’s getting too late for the Packers to deny what they have been the entire season after another loss to the Vikings

The fight for the fifth seed is over