The Bears-Packers rivalry has been around forever… It is older than many NFL teams, most league legends, and has transcended just about every era the game has seen. And it’s not getting diluted any time soon.
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Chicago had the last laugh last campaign, beating Green Bay 31-27 in the Wild Card round. However, the Packers have largely had the upper hand over the years, especially when Aaron Rodgers was leading the team.
Rodgers, who played with the Packers from 2005 to 2022, holds a brutal 25-5 record against the Bears, including playoff matchups. He used to face the rivals twice a year. College basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, a Chicago native and lifelong Bears fan, didn’t enjoy that stretch one bit.
Rodgers’ “I still own you!“ moment in 2021 will likely stick with Bears fans for years. It hurt Coach K’s sentiments, too. While the Bears were known for their dominant defense in the 1980s, they could never fully contain Rodgers in the 21st century, who threw just 10 interceptions in 29 games against them.
So, it’s no surprise Bears fans weren’t thrilled during Rodgers’ reign. That includes Krzyzewski, who has long supported Chicago teams like the Bears, Cubs, and the Bulls. Recently, while appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, Coach K spoke with Rodgers’ former teammate AJ Hawk and made his feelings clear.
“I hated Hawk being on the Packers because I’m a Bears fan,” Krzyzewski said in jest, adding, “You guys had great habits, you guys beat our a**es so many times, it was unbelievable. I hated you with respect.”
“I hated @OfficialAJHawk because he was on the Packers..
I’m a Bears fan and they beat our ass so many times..
I hated you with respect” ~ Coach K #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/xG5or4QF23
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 16, 2026
During Rodgers’ era, the Bears didn’t make a single Super Bowl. The Bears and the Packers crossed paths in the 2010 NFC Championship, where Green Bay got the last laugh, even though the game was played at Soldier Field.
Another performance that stands out came in Week 10 of the 2014 season. Rodgers threw six touchdowns in the first half alone, tying an all-time record. Krzyzewski had to sit through all of that and more.
While Rodgers was owning Chicago, Krzyzewski was setting winningest benchmarks as a college basketball coach. He would have wished he could have helped the Bears in some way.
Coach K has an unmatched resume with 1,202 career wins, five national titles, 15 ACC Tournament titles, and 13 Final Four appearances, along with five Olympic gold medals with Team USA. He will be a regular on McAfee’s Show during March Madness coverage.
