LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) -- On a Saturday night in November 2017, a mother and son walked through Chicago’s Loop when they saw a familiar face – a familiar foe, actually.
It was Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was walking alone to Mastro’s Steakhouse while trying to hide in a knit cap the night before facing the Bears at Soldier Field. The mother and son approached Rodgers to say hi, and a friendly conversation that lasted 20 minutes followed.
Rodgers recalled that story while speaking with reporters in Green Bay on Wednesday. Peter Nicoll, now 15, couldn’t believe Rodgers remembered their chance encounter.
"I do have a lot of respect for the city and the sports fans they have there,” Rodgers said.
The 37-year-old Rodgers has nothing but fond memories of playing in Chicago – largely because he has tortured this city and its Bears in his 17-year NFL career.
On Sunday, Rodgers may be suiting up in a Packers uniform for the last time in Chicago. After an offseason standoff with the organization, Rodgers returned to the Packers in July under a restructured contract that includes an agreement to grant a trade if he so desires. After winning his third MVP award last season, Rodgers will likely part ways with the Packers next offseason.
A large majority of the 60,000 or so fans who will be at Soldier Field this Sunday would gladly agree to help Rodgers pack up and move out of Green Bay.
Rodgers is without a doubt the greatest villain in Chicago sports history – more than LeBron James during his time beating the Bulls, Mark McGwire in crushing the Cubs or even the Sedin brothers during their playoff feuds with the Blackhawks.
Rodgers has faced the Bears 25 times in the regular season and beaten them in 20 of those meetings. He has thrown 55 touchdowns against Chicago, a number that would put him eighth on the Bears’ all-time passing touchdowns leaderboard.
This week, Rodgers deadpanned that he would never play for the Bears -- “No, no, it’s just not going to happen.” -- and Chicago is hoping for the same. The city has new hope at quarterback after trading up to select Justin Fields with the No. 11 pick in the NFL Draft last spring.
The 22-year-old Fields offers Chicago hope that it can have a franchise quarterback like Green Bay has enjoyed for the last 30 years with Rodgers and Brett Favre. And now, Fields' emergence with the Bears comes at a time when it seems the Packers could be at the end of their extraordinary run with Rodgers.
Win or loss for the Bears this Sunday, Chicago can have hope that it marks the last time seeing Rodgers wearing a Packers uniform in this city. If you happen to see him walking down the street or just jogging to the northeast tunnel of Soldier Field, maybe offer a nod of respect back this time to show that the feeling is mutual.
And then the fans in Chicago will be left hoping that Jordan Love isn’t a Hall of Famer too.
4-down territory
1) Running on "Juice"
Before running back David Montgomery suffered a left knee sprain on Oct. 3, the Bears were building an offensive identity predicated on the running game. His injury put pressure on Chicago’s reserves to step up.
Rookie running back Khalil Herbert embraced the challenge, stepping in along with veteran Damien Williams as the Bears rushed for 143 yards in a 20-9 win against the Raiders last Sunday.
The Bears in all likelihood will be without Williams this Sunday after he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday. That leaves Herbert as the lead running back moving forward, and he has a unique view on carrying the football.
“Each run is its own piece of art,” Herbert said. “Sometimes you can slow it down, sometimes you’ve got to speed it up. But just finding the happy medium between those two and knowing when to be patient and knowing when I’ve got to hit the hole is one of the things that happens with the speed of the game. You learn how to utilize that.”
2) Fields takes a hit
Fields' toughness is an admirable trait, but for the Bears, it has been on display far too often this season.
Fields has taken hit after hit in five games and keeps getting back up. For a quarterback like Fields capable of making plays with his legs, there’s a balance in knowing when to slide and go down rather than fighting for the extra yards and risk taking a big hit.
“First and second down, there’s no need to take a hit,” Fields said. “Third down, if it’s a big game, big situation, of course you sometime got to put your body on the line and get the first down. It just varies from different situations.
“Putting your priorities first, putting the team before you. It’s that simple. If your team needs a big conversion on a big third down, then you’re going to do what you need to do to get it done. But if it’s first or second down like I said before, you can get down and protect yourself a little bit.”
3) Modern marvel
When Bears second-year pass rusher Trevis Gipson recorded a sack last Sunday in Las Vegas, he broke out a celebration.
A fan of Marvel, Gipson paid homage to Thor in his celebration by grabbing a hammer from the sky and then hitting it twice to the ground. Later, he learned that teammates Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn were on the sidelines celebrating with him.
“It was an amazing feeling because I’m obviously a big fan of Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn and to see them cheering me on, it was a different feeling,” Gipson said. “Especially going back two, three years ago, being fans of those guys not knowing three years down the road that they would be cheering for me like I did for them. So it was a great feeling.”
4) Insider info
As the Bears prepare their offense to face the Packers, they have a key coach they can lean on.
That would be defensive analyst Mike Pettine, who served as Packers' defensive coordinator from 2018-’20 before being fired after last season. While Pettine’s role is focused on the Bears’ defense, he's also assisting with the offense as it prepares to face his former unit in Green Bay.
“Obviously, the scheme has changed,” Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor said. “There might be some calls that they’ve kept the same that he could help with. But I think the personnel and even the mentality of some of the players, I think he has great insight. He’s obviously spent a lot of time with them.”
Quote to note
“My job is to win. My job isn’t to be better than any quarterback. As long as we win, I’m doing my job the right way.”
-- Fields on facing Rodgers
Injury report
WR Allen Robinson (ankle) -- As tough and durable as they come, Robinson will certainly give his all to play. But he may be limited Sunday if he's able to go.
OLB Khalil Mack (foot) -- Mack continues to prove that playing through pain won’t slow him down.
DL Akiem Hicks (groin) -- The Bears didn't place Hicks on injured reserve last week, an indication that he has a short-term injury. But his status for Sunday is in doubt, and he could be looking at next week to return.
RB Damien Williams (COVID-19 reserve) -- It’s unclear if Williams is vaccinated. If he is, producing two negative tests will allow him to return. Otherwise, it’s a minimum 10-day absence for him.
Prediction (4-1): Packers 24, Bears 20
The Bears have a golden opportunity against the rival Packers and can prove themselves as legitimate with a win. They'll come up just short though, with Rodgers pulling through in the fourth quarter once again.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.