As storied a franchise as the Green Bay Packers are, they have been able to develop an interesting set of rivals during their history. Dating back to 1919, the Packers have had a professional football franchise, and they have come a very long way since their inception.
In 1921, the Green Bay-Chicago rivalry was launched, even though they were the Chicago Staleys at the time (they changed their name to the Bears in the next season). In 1922, the Packers were kicked out and later reinstituted into the then-APFA (American Professional Football Association) after they had given collegiate players false names to play on their roster.
In 1922, the personnel running the team faced financial troubles and turned to a public stock sale to help save the franchise, which ultimately set into motion the fact that Green Bay is the only franchise in the NFL that is publicly owned.
In 1929, the team won their first of three consecutive NFL titles, putting together a combined record of 34-5-2 across 1929, 1930, and 1931. Their success has created one of the strongest franchises in NFL history, boasting 756 wins against 574 losses and 38 ties. They have won 4 of 5 Super Bowl appearances and 13 championships.
Here are the top five rivals of the Packers, ranked.
5 – Pittsburgh Steelers
Having faced the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV in 2010, these two teams have played each other 34 times in the regular season and playoffs, with Green Bay leading the overall series 19-15-0.
In Super Bowl XLV, Green Bay won 31-25, the lone victory that Green Bay has in the 2000s over Pittsburgh.
These two teams may not meet very often, but when they do play, it seems to always be an important game.
4 – Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions and Packers have played a one-sided series since the 2000 season, as the Packers have won 29 of the last 38 meetings.
Green Bay has produced winning streaks of six and 10 games, respectively, over the Lions in that span. Green Bay has a 102-72-7 series advantage.
The ‘Miracle in Motown’ comes to mind when thinking of recent highlights of this series. A Week 13 game in the 2015 season saw the Packers win on a last-second Hail Mary from quarterback Aaron Rodgers to tight end Richard Rodgers, who boxed out every Detroit defender.
3 – Dallas Cowboys
While the lack of recent gameplay may lead some to think that there is not a huge rivalry between these two teams, the fact that the Ice Bowl is the top game on the list when talking about the Cowboys and Packers provides some merit as to why these two are a solid rivalry.
The Cowboys and Packers are two of the most popular teams in the league, and their grudge match continues today.
The last day of 1967 saw a storied game of football. In the Ice Bowl, the Packers scored a late-game touchdown on a quarterback sneak by Bart Starr, which pushed the Packers ahead with under 15 seconds left.
The frigid, sub-zero temperatures that both players and fans were subjected to that day were tough to deal with.
More recently, the Packers came into Jerry World and stole the hearts of Cowboys faithful in a 2017 NFC divisional game, as Rodgers led Green Bay down the field late. Kicker Mason Crosby calmly knocked through a winning field goal, sending the Cheeseheads to the next round.
Also, do not forget the ‘Dez Dropped It’ game, a 2014 divisional contest.
2 – Minnesota Vikings
Having drawn the ire of Packer fans everywhere with their ‘dirty’ play, having injured Rodgers, the Minnesota Vikings do not like Green Bay.
The new stadium up in Minnesota has given the home team no real advantage in this rivalry, however. The Packers smoked the Vikings in Minneapolis last December to tuck away the NFC North.
The Packers currently own a 62-54-3 lead in the overall series, having won both meetings in 2019.
From 2010 through 2015, the Packers won or tied 11 of 12 games.
1 – Chicago Bears
The team that helped start it all in terms of a rivalry, the Chicago Bears put a beatdown on Green Bay in their first-ever meeting back some 100 years ago, 20-0. Ever since then, however, the Packers have come back.
Only leading by four games (99-95-6), the Packers have only lost five of the twice-yearly meetings between the two teams, which includes one postseason meeting back in 2011 that helped produce the B.J. Raji interception and infamous touchdown dance.
This rivalry has been one of the best in the entire NFL’s history, having seen players such as Gale Sayers, Brett Favre, Brian Urlacher, Rodgers, William ‘The Refridgerator’ Perry, Charles Woodson, and others. It's why it's ranked number one.
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