The Bears face the Packers in the season opener 90 days from Tuesday. The trash-talking has already begun.
Asked about star Aaron Rodgers leaving the rival Packers for the Jets this offseason, Bears defensive lineman Justin Jones launched into an attack on Green Bay’s fans Tuesday, saying that “half of ’em don’t even know football.”
As for Rodgers, Jones said he wished the quarterback had stuck around one more year so the Bears could get their revenge. Jones was still annoyed by the fan behavior at Lambeau Field in Week 2 last year. The Bears led 7-3 but were outscored 24-3 from the second quarter on, losing 27-10.
“I wish [Rodgers] had played one more year with Green Bay, honestly,” Jones said after the first day of mandatory minicamp at Halas Hall. “We went up there and we played a pretty good game. But they got away from us at the end, obviously. They won.
“But their fans are really [crappy]. I wanted to go back up there and I wanted to play them and I wanted to beat them and I wanted him to be there so he could see it. The fact that he’s gone, it’s cool. I guess it’s better for him not to be here. But yeah, man, I’m ready to take it over. It’s a good time to be a Bear fan. I’m not even going to lie to you.”
It’s a better time to be a Bears fan than it was with Rodgers under center for the Packers. He went 25-5 against the Bears as the Packers’ starter, beating his rivals at Soldier Field to win the NFC championship at the end of the 2010 season. When he told Bears fans he owned them two years ago, he was right.
Jones called Packers fans “freaking obnoxious” for “just yelling and all that other stuff about things that didn’t matter” during the 2022 game at Lambeau Field.
“We’re not even running a play and you guys are talking about ‘Boo. ...’ What are we talking about there? Y’all are ... ” he said. “Half of ’em don’t even know football. It’s so weird to me.”
Jones didn’t hold back Tuesday, even when talking about his own team.
He reiterated how hard it was for the defense to rally after general manager Ryan Poles traded linebacker Roquan Smith midseason, saying the Bears “haven’t won a game since he left.” He pointed out that some of the Bears’ struggles came after defensive end Robert Quinn was traded and safety Eddie Jackson suffered a Lisfranc injury during the season.
Jones hinted that the Bears had mercenaries on their roster last season after signing so many players to prove-it contracts. He said the Bears have “got a lot more guys who are more team-oriented vs. [in it for] themselves” on their roster this season than they did during the league-worst 3-14 season.
“When you’ve got a bunch of guys that are on one-year deals and they’re all worried about what they’re gonna be next year,” he said, “it’s kind of hard to build a tight group.”
Jones saved some praise for the Bears, too. He boasted that the connection between quarterback Justin Fields and new receiver DJ Moore is “going to be crazy” and called rookie defensive Gervon Dexter a “leaner Linval Joseph,” referring to the 13-year vet and two-time Pro Bowl player.
Jones knows Packers fans will circle what he said. The Bears will face their rivals in the opener but won’t get back to Lambeau Field until the season finale.
“I’m just ready to go back out there and play,” Jones said. “I want to go out there and I want to beat the hell out of them on their field. I want to hear the boos then. That’s what I look forward to.”
