Football
Aaron Rodgers’ rivalry with the Chicago Bears runs deep. So deep that it was painful for Rodgers to miss playing them one final time, missing last year’s matchup at Soldier Field with a wrist injury.
Caleb Williams sees through any bad blood. In a recent interview with Heavy.com promoting EA Sports’ new College Football 27 and Madden 27 video games, Williams had much love for Rodgers’ accomplishments.
“I mean, (Tom) Brady,” Williams told Heavy Sport’s DJ Siddiq when asked who was the greatest quarterback of all-time. “When you go seven Super Bowls…there’s not anybody close. And so it gets hard to debate that. I put Brady as number one, and for me, Aaron Rodgers is probably number two.”
Rodgers is undoubtedly one of the greatest in his generation and among history’s best. But grabbing second place is difficult due to plenty of competition, and most lists have him a little lower. My own 2024 list, which may need updating, ranked Rodgers 8th in history. Johnny Unitas, the first truly great quarterback, grabbed second place. Joe Montana, Patrick Mahomes, and Peyton Manning rounded out the top five behind Brady.
Rodgers’ career has been spectacular. On the stat sheet, he has more than 66,000 passing yards, 527 touchdown passes, and history’s lowest interception percentage. He ranks near the top of every major passing stat: fifth in yards, fourth in touchdown passes, and tied for first in passer rating. On tape, his quick release, powerful arm, and in-his-prime mobility made him a force.
His splits against Chicago are almost unrivaled. A 24-5 regular season record and 109.0 QB rating with 64 touchdown passes to just 10 interceptions. Rodgers owned the Bears, and he wasn’t quiet about it.
Williams likely won’t become the second-greatest quarterback in history, but he’s reviving Chicago’s franchise and making the team competitive again. He broke out last season as Ben Johnson led the team to an 11-6 record, their first division crown since 2018, and an epic playoff comeback against the Packers before a heartbreaking Divisional overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Williams is at least tracking to become the second-greatest quarterback in Bears history behind legend Sid Luckman, who won four championships with Chicago in the 1940s.
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