Packers, Bears kick off NFL's 100th season with 199th matchup in prime time at Soldier Field
CHICAGO -- The Green Bay Packers open the regular season Thursday, Sept. 5 vs. the rival Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. -- with one of the most storied rivalries in professional sports kicking off the NFL's 100th season with their 199th matchup -- the most in NFL history.
It'll be the first game with QB Aaron Rodgers on the field, as he did not play in the Packers 2-2 preseason.
According to Packers.com, Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur will become the first coach to play his first official league contest outside of Wisconsin. In 2018, LaFleur guided the Titans’ offense in 2018 to a No. 7 league ranking in rushing (126.4 ypg), as Tennessee registered 11 games with 100-plus rushing yards, tied for No. 2 in the NFL.
The Bears also have a relatively new head coach, with Matt Nagy beginning his second year at the helm. In 2018, Nagy led the Bears to a 12-4 regular-season record in his first season as head coach, earning a postseason appearance and taking home Associated Press and PFWA Coach of the Year honors.
According to Packers.com, the Packers hold a 97-95-6 edge in the series, which includes two playoff games (1-1).
The game at Soldier Field will mark the fourth time in team history that the Packers have opened the season in Chicago. The last time was 2015.
Thursday's game will mark the first time the Packers have opened the season against the Bears in back-to-back seasons since playing them three years in a row in openers from 1979-81, and the third time in five years the Packers have opened the a season against the Bears.
Six of the last seven games between the two teams at Soldier Field have been decided by single digits.
With Aaron Rodgers as the starting quarterback, Green Bay is 17-5 (including playoffs) against the Bears, with one loss coming in 2013 after Rodgers left the game with an injury after the first series.
The Packers and Bears last met in the regular season on Dec. 16, 2018 at Soldier Field. The Bears won, 24-17.
Starting in 1923, the clubs met for 59 straight years until both games in 1982 were canceled as part of a strike-shortened season.
The teams have only met in the postseason twice, with the last meeting coming following the 2010 season. With a berth in Super Bowl XLV on the line, the Packers emerged victorious, 21-14, at Soldier Field.
With two wins over the Bears in 2017, Green Bay took and maintained the advantage in the series for the first time since leading 11-10-4 following the 1932 season.