Matt Eberflus is doing all he can to keep the Chicago Bears' focus on the task at hand entering the final game of the regular season. Unfortunately for him, don't expect Aaron Rodgers to cooperate.
The former Green Bay Packers legend turned injured New York Jets quarterback took a shot at the Bears on Tuesday, going out of his way to note the extremely one-sided nature of Chicago's so-called “rivalry” with the green and gold. While Rodgers' inflammatory comments quickly made waves across the NFL landscape, Eberflus refused to indulge them ahead of his team's Week 18 matchup with the Packers.
“We’re gonna keep it about us,” Eberflus said, per Sean Hammond of the Daily Herald. “It’s an important game for them, for sure. An important game for us, for sure. And we’re going to leave it at that. It’s a rival and we’re excited about going up there and playing some football.”
Rodgers went after the Bears on Tuesday's edition of the Pat McAfee Show, hardly hiding is prevailing affinity for Green Bay while mocking Chicago's horrific recent record in matchups with the Packers.
“Is it a rivalry anymore?” Rodgers asked. “If they can't beat us, is it a rivalry?”
Rodgers is a gaudy 26-5 against the Bears in his Hall-of-Fame career. Chicago hasn't beaten Green Bay since Packers coach Matt LaFleur took the reins in 2019, either.
“Every coach that has been hired by Chicago, his first goal is to beat Green Bay,” Rodgers continued. “It has been rough the last 30 plus years.”
The Bears, long ago eliminated from the postseason, have little more to play for in the regular-season finale than pride. If the chance to finally defeat Green Bay while ending its playoff hopes wasn't enough motivation by itself, rest assured Chicago will be extra amped up to play on Sunday in wake of Rodgers' remarks—no matter how much Eberflus tries to downplay them in the locker room.
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