The long-standing rivalry between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers reached new heights on October 11, when the two teams clashed at Lambeau Field. The Packers won 31-7, and linebacker Zaire Franklin had a few choice words for the Bears, who had been trash-talking them all week leading up to the game. But more surprisingly, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams reacted to the post, even though he was sidelined due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain.
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Speaking to The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman on October 11, Franklin pointed out that the Chicago team spent more time worrying about their opponents rather than worrying about themselves.
“They do a whole lot of weird stuff. Since I been here, they do a whole lot of stuff, that they worried about us,” Franklin said. “We worried about ourselves. Hopefully they learn to stop dissing us. Real talk.”
Schneidman posted a screenshot on X a few hours later, revealing that Caleb Williams had liked the clip where Franklin expressed his take. Some football fans are interpreting Williams’ like as support for Franklin’s stance, while others believe he is simply acknowledging it and taking it as a challenge, especially because these two teams will again face each other on Christmas Day in December. For now, the real reason behind his ‘liking the clip’ remains unclear.
Nevertheless, Williams liking Franklin’s comment is interesting, especially after their disappointing road game loss to their NFC North competitors.
The rivalry between the two teams had been burning hot since their last clash in January, when the Bears defeated the Packers 31-27 during the NFC Wild Card playoffs. Williams had expressed his confidence in his team a few months ago, when he appeared on the ‘Up and Adams’ show in August 2026.
“I go into every game with the mindset that I already won, that helps get to the end and confirm it,” Williams said. “It’s just something I do, the driver’s seat thing is something I do and that’s something I like to bring to the team, bringing that mindset into big games, bringing that mindset when people overlook the opponent, and bringing that mindset into the big rivalries.”
Clearly, quarterback Tyson Bagent, who started in place of Williams after he was sidelined with a right hamstring strain sustained in Week 2, did not get the memo. Despite his stellar win against the Jets last week, Bagent threw two interceptions and completed 12 passes out of 21 attempts for just 87 yards. He was eventually benched in the fourth quarter, with veteran QB Case Keenum taking over.
Keenum’s arrival didn’t make much of a difference, however; the QB completed 11 of 19 pass attempts for 108 yards, but got intercepted once and had one lost fumble during his time on the field.
What fueled the animosity between the Bears and the Packers even further was wide receiver Luther Burden III relaying their coach’s pep talk to reporters days before the Week 5 matchup.
“He [Ben Johnson] wants to beat them really bad like everyone else in the room, like every Chicago fan. Beat them real bad, and make them quit,” Burden revealed.
Franklin had a response to Burden’s remarks as well. While speaking about their own coach, Matt LaFleur’s philosophy, the LB pointed out that it was absurd for someone like Burden, who had yet to make an impact of any significance in the league, to be talking about making another team “quit”.
“All the things we’ve been doing is focused on being the best versions of ourselves, and that’s the message that Coach LeFleur has been preaching: just being the best versions of ourselves,” Franklin said. “We got guys that never really made a real play in this league. Talking about making somebody quit, that’s weird. We don’t do that. He quit today, by the way. He didn’t want to play anymore.”
It seems, as the Bears’ primary quarterback, Williams wants to prove his team’s worth. However, for that, he needs to return to the gridiron. According to HC Johnson, the injured QB is being evaluated “week-to-week”. Although he didn’t provide a specific return date for Williams, the coach is hoping that he will be back on the field against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6.