The Chicago Bears got the upper hand over the Green Bay Packers last season in large part due to their performance on special teams. After playing well in the margins in a Week 16 win at Soldier Field and a wild-card round victory a few weeks later, the Bears looked to widen that gap by signing Kalif Raymond to replace Devin Duvernay as the team’s primary kick returner.
With their rival breaking in a new special teams coordinator and many of the faces that helped the Bears in their matchups against the division rival returning this season, it felt like Chicago’s special teams advantage was as big as ever. But like the evil empire, the Packers struck back on Wednesday, agreeing to terms with WR/KR Skyy Moore, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Moore’s arrival in Green Bay shows the Packers were paying attention when the Bears brought Raymond in earlier in the day and may make special teams more important than ever as the teams continue their rivalry in 2026.
Bears’ Special Teams Continues to Be Big Factor After Skyy Moore Signing
Special teams was a major factor in the Bears’ final two meetings with the Packers last season. In the Week 16 matchup, a muffed onside kick by Romeo Doubs helped Chicago earn a win that led to their first NFC North title since 2018. By virtue of that division championship, the Packers had to come to Soldier Field for the wild-card round rematch, where kicker Brandon McManus missed two field goals and an extra point, helping the Bears come back from a 21-3 halftime deficit to earn their first playoff victory since 2010.
These gaffes had to be in the Packers’ minds, but so did their return issues. The Packers ranked 23rd with 23.2 yards per kick return and dead last with 5.6 yards per punt return last season, forcing their offense to go the majority of the field to put up points. Moore should help with that after finishing 11th among qualifiers with 11.6 yards per punt return and 15th with 27.5 yards per kickoff return last season, making him an addition that should grab the attention of the Bears.
Chicago made an upgrade of their own with Raymond, who struggled last year, averaging 7.5 yards per punt return and 26.8 yards per kickoff return. But he was much better in 2024, earning Second-Team All-Pro honors by averaging 13.8 yards per punt return and 26.0 yards per kick return. With the added benefit of being a downfield threat for Ben Johnson’s offense following DJ Moore’s departure, the Bears may have found the best of both worlds, with the special teams leaning slightly in their favor.
With all things considered, there’s a clear theme developing in the rivalry between the Bears and the Packers. The special teams decided a pair of games a year ago, and should continue to do so when they meet this year. With last year’s division race being decided by a total of two games, Chicago and the rest of the division will need to continue to sharpen their special teams as the Packers add a strong returner ahead of next season.