Overview
- Packers coach Matt LaFleur has refused to engage in public trash-talk, telling reporters Monday that he will keep the focus on players and preparation.
- The confrontation traces to a profanity-filled locker-room speech Johnson gave in January that the Bears’ official social account posted publicly.
- Caleb Williams is not practicing this week with a hamstring issue, so the Bears plan to start backup Tyson Bagent and are managing other injuries at tackle and in the backfield.
- Green Bay also enters the game shorthanded, with inside linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele out for the season and Micah Parsons listed week-to-week while running back Josh Jacobs remains on the Commissioner's Exempt List.
- The rivalry’s century-long history and recent Packers advantage mean a single win may change perceptions temporarily, a point underscored by Bears chairman George McCaskey’s public call for Johnson to 'back it up' on the field.