Would it have killed Aaron Rodgers to leave Green Bay and the Packers-Bears rivalry in the rearview mirror once and for all?
But no — Rodgers just had to sign a four-year, $200 million extension to continue quarterbacking that team the Bears just can’t beat. It’s like the guy thinks he owns the Bears or something.
In this week’s “Polling Place” — your home for Sun-Times sports polls on Twitter — we asked how many more NFC North titles Rodgers will win with the Green and Gold.
“He owns the NFC North and the Bears for good measure,” @JBIRD1268 commented.
Look, we kind of pointed that out already.
“Who cares about NFC North titles?” @mrsin61 wrote. “How many Super Bowls has he won? Not as many as Tom Brady.”
Fair enough. We also asked how many division titles the Bears will win in the next four years — teeing it up for @FfejMoshpit, who commented, “Five” — and, finally, which team will win its next Super Bowl first. On to the polls:
Poll No. 1: Aaron Rodgers just signed a four-year, $200 million extension with the Packers that made him the highest-paid player in football. How many more NFC North titles will he win?
Q1: Aaron Rodgers just signed a four-year, $200 million extension with the Packers that made him the highest-paid player in football. How many more NFC North titles will he win?
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) March 10, 2022
Upshot: Since succeeding Brett Favre as the Packers’ starter in 2008, Rodgers has led the team to eight division crowns. That’s twice as many as the Vikings have in that time frame and, ahem, eight times as many as the Bears have. Still, one in five respondents sees a goose egg from here for Rodgers in the division-title department. We’re sure that’s exactly how it’ll work out.
Poll No. 2: How many NFC North titles will the Bears win in the next four years?
Q2: How many NFC North titles will the Bears win in the next four years?
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) March 10, 2022
Upshot: “Way to ram the point home, Sun-Times,” @raviroyalcomeup protested. Were we making a point? Sometimes we do that by accident. Anyway, the “1 or 2s” edged the “nones” by a little. Which is unlike most of the games in this not-so-evenly-matched NFL rivalry, with the Packers tending to edge the Bears by a whole heck of a lot. It has to change eventually, though, or so one would like to believe.
Poll No. 3: Which team will win its next Super Bowl first, the Packers or the Bears?
Q3: Which team will win its next Super Bowl first, the Packers or the Bears?
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) March 10, 2022
Upshot: This vote sure turned out right down the middle, and it makes some sense. The final word goes to @KalamityJim: “The Bears’ new era is already in motion. The Packers are clinging to an aging era that shows no sign of bringing the ultimate goal again. Gotta think time is on the side of the Bears rather than the Packers on this one.”
