The Chicago Bears have been living their best life in their rivalry with the Green Bay Packers over the past year. The Bears beat the Packers twice in 2025, with the victories helping them win the NFC North for the first time since 2018 and sending Green Bay on an early vacation in the playoffs.
With Ben Johnson trolling the Packers the entire time, it was an out of body experience that may continue after Green Bay filled their defensive coordinator position on Sunday morning.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Packers have agreed to hire former Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon to replace Jeff Hafley as defensive coordinator.
Gannon’s previous success as DC of the Philadelphia Eagles may give Bears fans some reason for pause. But digging a little deeper, it may be a best case scenario that could see Chicago have more success in the rivalry in 2026.
Bears Have Plenty of Reasons to Celebrate Over Packers’ Jonathan Gannon Hiring
The Bears have several reasons to be hyped over the Packers’ hiring of Gannon. The first is on Ben Johnson’s coaching staff where Al Harris has been a hot commodity as a defensive coordinator candidate.
While Harris interviewed with the Washington Commanders and Tennessee Titans for their vacancies this offseason, going to the Packers was a huge possibility thanks to his days playing for them during the 2000s and the chance to work with a defense that features Micah Parsons.
With a defensive line that already has its share of game-wreckers, Harris could have fixed the Packers’ weakness in the secondary. Instead, Green Bay chose against hiring a coach that helped Chicago lead the NFL in interceptions (23) and turnover rate (18.3%) this season, which eliminates the possibility of Harris going somewhere else in the NFC North and taking the Bears' secrets to a division rival.
The advantage continues when looking into Gannon’s tendencies during his time in Arizona. While he didn’t have many impact players, the Cardinals' defense was fairly bland, finishing 20th in interceptions (10) and 21st in turnover rate (10.0%) this past season. But Arizona also had trouble stopping the run under Gannon, which ranked 32nd, 25th and 27th in his three years as head coach.
This is where Johnson and his offense should be salivating. The Bears ranked third in rushing offense last season, averaging 144.5 yards per game, and those numbers weren’t aided by a pure running quarterback like the Buffalo Bills (159.6) and Baltimore Ravens (156.6). Chicago has also had previous success running the ball in the past against Gannon, racking up 170 yards on the ground in a Week 16 win over the Cardinals during the 2023 season.
The Bears’ rushing attack has gotten better since then with D’Andre Swift signing as a free agent in 2024 and Kyle Monangai coming aboard during the 2025 draft. While Green Bay has a talented stable of pass rushers that Gannon will lean on, stopping the run was an issue, ranking 18th last season with 117.7 rushing yards allowed per game.
As the run becomes a strength of Johnson’s tenure, the Gannon hire isn’t something that should make Packers fans feel confident about stopping this attack twice a season. Chicago now has a clear area of weakness from Gannon's recent history to exploit, barring Green Bay making a big move in free agency or the draft.
All things considered, the Bears have a reason to celebrate Gannon’s Packers arrival, and they might just be able to use it to gain the upper hand again next season.