The Bears face the Packers in Week 1. The trash-talking has already begun.
Asked about star Aaron Rodgers leaving the rival Packers for the Jets this offseason, Bears defensive lineman Justin Jones launched into an attack on Green Bay’s fans Tuesday, saying that “half of ’em don’t even know football.”
As for Rodgers, Jones said he wished the quarterback had stuck around one more year so the Bears could get their revenge. Jones was still annoyed by the fan behavior at Lambeau Field in Week 2 last year. The Bears led 7-3 but were outscored 24-3 from the second quarter on, losing 27-10.
“I wish [Rodgers] had played one more year with Green Bay, honestly,” Jones said after the first day of mandatory minicamp at Halas Hall. “We went up there and we played a pretty good game. But they got away from us at the end, obviously. They won.
“But their fans are really [crappy]. I wanted to go back up there and I wanted to play them and I wanted to beat them and I wanted him to be there so he could see it. The fact that he’s gone, it’s cool. I guess it’s better for him not to be here. But yeah, man, I’m ready to take it over. It’s a good time to be a Bear fan. I’m not even going to lie to you.”
It’s a better time to be a Bears fan that it was with Rodgers under center in Green Bay. Rodgers went 25-5 against the Bears as the Packers’ starter, and beat them at Soldier Field to win the NFC championship at the end of the 2010 season.
Jones called Packers fans “freaking obnoxious” for “just yelling and all that other stuff about things that didn’t matter” during the 2022 game.
“We’re not even running a play and you guys are talking about ‘Boo. ...’ What are we talking about there? Y’all are ... whatever, bro,” he said. “Half of ’em don’t even know football. It’s so weird to me.
“I’m just ready to go back out there and play. I want to go out there and I want to beat the hell out of them on their field. I want to hear the boos then. That’s what I look forward to.”
The Bears won’t get back to Lambeau Field until Week 18, but they’ll face the Packers in the season opener.