Facing the Chicago Bears again in Week 14, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers doubled down on his claim of ownership over the Bears.
It might seem impossible to engender more bitterness between the Bears and Packers, but Aaron Rodgers doesn’t seem to shy away from any challenge.
Ahead of the Packers’ Week 14 matchup against the Bears at Lambeau Field, Rodgers doubled down on his touchdown celebration in Week 6. Rodgers ran over 15 yards for a touchdown, shouting at Bears fans, “I still own you.”
On Wednesday, Rodgers clarified that the comment was directed at Bears fans who were “giving him the bird” and not at the Bears team. Afterward, Rodgers made sly comments about the Bears’ history of losing to the Packers over the past few decades.
#Packers QB Aaron Rodgers says "I own you" comment at Soldier Field was to fans "who were giving me the bird," not necessarily the Bears.
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) December 8, 2021
"I don't know if you can question a whole lot of what I said. We've had a good record over the years against them and won a lot of games."
Aaron Rodgers on Bears ownership claim: ‘I don’t regret saying it at all’.
In actuality, the full record between the Bears and the Packers is much closer than Rodgers portrays.
The record between these NFC North rivals is 102 wins and 95 losses for the Packers, with six games resulting in ties over the years.
But the record between Rodgers and the Bears is a different story, one that certainly makes a case for Rodgers owning Chicago. Since Rodgers ascended the Green Bay throne in 2008, he has only lost to the Bears five times, one of those times being a 20-17 loss in overtime in 2008. That means Rodgers has defeated the Bears in 23 out of their 28 games — and Sunday could be his 24th victory over Chicago.
Once again, Rodgers reiterated that he was actually a fan of Chicago sports growing up and doesn’t hold animosity towards the city, but it seems Bears fans don’t appreciate that distinction.
Aaron Rodgers says he was a Cub fan "because I enjoyed Harry Caray and Greg Maddux." And he was a big Bulls fan because of 23. He got to see MJ play vs. Kings as a kid.
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) December 8, 2021
See, Chicago. The man does not hate your city. He merely owns it. There's a difference.
“At some point, it will be used against me,” Rodgers said. “It is what it is. I don’t regret saying it at all.”
Rodgers knows his comments won’t earn him any love from Chicago, but with a record like his against the Bears, it’s hard to argue that he doesn’t own the team.