Bear Digest

Aaron Rodgers hints he'll be back in Chicago with his new team

Whether Aaron Rodgers still "owns" the Chicago Bears might be determined in November as he's strongly hinting at a return on a road trip with a team playing at Soldier Field.
Gene Chamberlain|
Is Aaron Rodgers coming back to Soldier Field in November with the Steelers?
Is Aaron Rodgers coming back to Soldier Field in November with the Steelers? | Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

In this story:

Chicago Bears

Aaron Rodgers already seems to be building up the hype for his first game at Soldier Field since the Packers communicated his services would no longer be needed and traded him to the Jets before the 2023 season.

It might be nice to actually have a team first, though, but that seems to be coming after what Rodgers said at a live YNK Podcast.

Rodgers, 41, remains unsigned but seemed to tease a future signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday during a question-and-answer in Austin, Texas, with an artist downloaded to YouTube.

In the Q&A, Rodger was was asked by a young fan if he would ever sign with the Bears. At one time it might not have seemed like a far-fetched idea because he would have been able to get back at the Packers, but with Caleb Williams at quarterback the Bears wouldn't be interested.

"No," Rodgers told the youth, "but I believe there's a team that might play in Chicago for a road trip, I don't know," Rodgers said.

The Steelers come to Solider Field for a Nov. 23 noon game., their first game against the Bears since 2021 when they beat the Bears 29-27 in a game officiated in a questionable way by former NFL referee Tony Corrente and crew.

Rodgers then added a comment about Chicago.

"I love Chicago, though, way more than they love me," he said, in one of the great understatements in NFL history. "It's been a great relationship."

It's also been a one-way relationship. The Bears are 5-25 against Rodgers, including a loss in their only playoff game against him, the 2010 NFC championship game at Soldier Field.

Rodgers is best known for the 2021 "I still own you" win in Chicago. He had one more Soldier Field start against them after that and it was in December, 2022, when the Bears blew a 19-10 fourth-quarter lead and lost 28-19—one of a handful of games they threw away late when Matt Eberflus was coach.

The Bears last beat Rodgers in Soldier Field in 2018 when they clinched the NFC North title.

Of course, Rodgers could still sign with another team coming to Soldier Field and that's the Minnesota Vikings. They play the season-opener on Monday Night Football against the Vikings, but the likelihood of this seems to shrink by the day.

More Chicago Bears News

X: BearsOnSI

Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.