Green Bay Packers fans have never known a point in time when their quarterbacks weren’t superior to the Chicago Bears‘ quarterback. You had the Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers eras between 1992 and 2022. Yet even before that, you had Bart Starr in the 1960s. Superiority at quarterback is something that has permeated this rivalry for almost 70 years. So you can understand why Packer faithful were unwilling to even consider the idea that Caleb Williams might be superior to Jordan Love, Rodgers’ heir apparent.
They’ve been arguing for months that Chicago’s young quarterback is overrated. He is a benefactor of good luck more than anything else. Love has consistently proven his ability for three seasons now, having never missed the playoffs. Bears fans shoot back that Williams is 3-2 against him in head-to-head matchups. The argument seemed to take a decisive shift in Green Bay’s favor when NFL players voted Love the 72nd best player in the league going into the 2026 season.
This was ahead of notable names like Brock Purdy and Baker Mayfield. There was no way Williams would rank ahead of Love. It was victory lap time for Packer fans. Imagine their despair when the Bears quarterback cracked the list at #51, a full 19 spots ahead of Love, as well as Lamar Jackson, Trevor Lawrence, and Jalen Hurts. That’s a two-time MVP, a former Pro Bowler, and a Super Bowl champion.
Caleb Williams isn’t being propped up.
Remember, this list isn’t a fan vote or a media creation. The list is voted on by actual players in the league. This reflects what they think of Williams. If they consider him the 51st best in the entire league, regardless of position? You can’t really argue it. These guys know football way better than fans do. There also isn’t a clear bias involved, as there is with Bears and Packers fans. That just makes it sting even more. Green Bay has hung onto the idea that Williams’ success last season was less about ability as a quarterback and more a series of fortunate breaks.
🔥 Subscribe to the Untold Chicago YouTube channel to hear Chicago legends tell stories you’ve never seen in headlines — real moments, real experiences, straight from the athletes themselves.
That argument has all but died now. The NFL itself has said it loud and clear. Caleb Williams is the real deal. He is the first Bears quarterback to be equal to or better than the Packers have under center, probably since the 1980s. History shows that when this is the case, Chicago tends to seize control of the rivalry. It was true in the 1940s and 1950, and the ’80s. Is it a coincidence that the Bears suddenly started winning again when Williams arrived?
Packers fans are only making it worse.
Their incessant attempts to downplay the young quarterback only seem to fuel his fire. He has a semi-masochistic side, in that he delights in people doubting him. The louder it gets, the more determined he becomes to prove them wrong. It is probably why he’s become so good at engineering late-game comebacks. Yet there is a sharper edge to him when the Packers are involved. It didn’t take Williams long to embrace the rivalry when he arrived, and his dislike of Green Bay has only grown since then.
The louder fans get about him being overrated, the more dialed he is on making their favorite team pay the price. You’d think, after what happened last season, that people might realize Williams deserves a little more respect. Leave to Green Bay. They seem intent on fueling those fires as much as possible. Don’t expect Chicago fans to stop them.
