For the first time in a while, the Chicago Bears have the upper hand in their rivalry with the Green Bay Packers. The Bears defeated the Packers in December, helping them win their first NFC North division title since 2018 before eliminating them from the playoffs with a comeback victory in the Wild Card round a few weeks later.
While the Bears lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round, life has been one big victory lap over their neighbors to the north. That trend continued when the Packers signed head coach Matt LaFleur to a contract extension.
After the Packers' latest collapse, Bears fans may have wondered why Green Bay wanted to keep LaFleur around.
Interestingly, a report from Cheesehead TV’s Aaron Nagler that cited the NFLPA’s grades from its most recent player survey confirms it may have done more harm than good, noting from a source that LaFleur “dropped a full letter grade” in overall performance this season and “ranks second to last in the league in respect for players.”
Those notes are just some of the things Bears fans can laugh at, and it could be another sign that Chicago could be seizing the momentum in the NFC North’s biggest rivalry.
NFLPA Report Card Leak Confirms Bears Edge in Rivalry with Packers
Bears fans have watched from afar as the Packers have tried to run it back after last year’s collapse. After starting 9-3-1 and ending the year on a five-game losing streak, the Packers extended LaFleur, who earned an A-minus grade in the latest survey. While that doesn’t sound bad, Wendell Ferreira of A to Z Sports noted that it ranks 20th out of 32 head coaches.
This is in addition to the other moves the Packers have made this offseason. Green Bay also extended general manager Brian Gutekunst in the aftermath of last season, and the Packers kept most of the key figures on LaFleur’s staff, including offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich and offensive line coach Luke Butkus.
Most notably to Bears fans, the Packers were planning to keep special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia until he decided to resign on Feb. 17. Bisaccia’s unit played a key role in Chicago’s two victories last season with a muffed onside kick by Romeo Doubs in the Week 16 meeting and two missed field goals and a missed extra point that helped the Bears overcome a 21-3 halftime deficit and win the game 31-27.
All of that makes it understandable if players gave one big eye roll to LaFleur’s return, but it could be something that has everyone with the Bears smiling.
The NFLPA will not make its report cards official after losing a grievance against the NFL earlier this month. But if it did, there’s a good chance the Bears would be well ahead of the Packers, who finished 21st in the report according to the information obtained by Nagler.
Head coach Ben Johnson overhauled Chicago’s culture last season after Matt Eberflus finished last with a C grade in the 2024 report card. More positive steps in the right direction could give the Bears a rosy future compared to their division rivals.
The leak confirms where the Bears stand ahead of the Packers right now and could be a sign that the success could continue as long as LaFleur is in Green Bay.