Aaron Rodgers rehashes 'I own you' moment from last game against the Bears
As the Green Bay Packers prepare for their second game against the Chicago Bears this season, an incident from this year’s first matchup has found its way back into the limelight.
On Oct. 17, the teams met in Chicago, and Green Bay escaped with a 24-14 victory. The win was not without a little controversy, as Rodgers yelled “I own you” at Bears fans as he took the ball in for a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. The score effectively sealed the win for the Packers.
Now, Rodgers is saying his trash talk was not directed at the Bears team or fan base as a whole. According to Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, it was instead meant for those “who were giving (him) the bird” in the stands.
“I don’t know if you can question a whole lot of what I said,” Rodgers said. “We’ve had a good record over the years against them and won a lot of games.”
Rodgers’ record against the Bears is 21-5, so his sentiment is not misplaced. Additionally, the future Hall of Famer beat the Bears in the 2010 NFC Championship game on the way to a victory in Super Bowl XLV.
“At some point, it will be used against me,” Rodgers added. “It is what it is. I don’t regret saying it at all.”
Packers provide mid-week injury updates
Rodgers is one of several Green Bay players to be dealing with injuries this year. As of Wednesday, he remains sidelined in practice due to a toe injury, but head coach Matt LaFleur is not too concerned about his quarterback.
“If he can [practice], that’d be great,” LaFleur said, via NFL.com. “If he can’t, he can’t. I don’t think it’s going to be anything hindering him for the game.”
As Green Bay began their on-field preparation for their upcoming showdown with the Bears, third-string quarterback Kurt Benkert took the reps. Benkert was elevated from the practice squad on Tuesday. However, the former Virginia player has yet to appear in an NFL game.
On the Bears injury front, quarterback Justin Fields has been medically cleared to play after dealing with a rib injury. He will get the start on Sunday, per head coach Matt Nagy.
This weekend’s matchup in Green Bay between the bitter NFC North rivals will be the Sunday Night Football game. The 9-3 Packers are coming off a bye week and are firmly in control of the division; the Bears, Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions remain below .500 on the season.
The game kicks off 7:20 p.m. CT, and the Packers are a 12.5-point favorite.