The Green Bay Packers-Chicago Bears rivalry is one of the best in football, and one viral moment added to it during the Packers’ 31-7 beatdown at Lambeau Field over their NFC North foe in Week 5.
Packers receiver Matthew Golden fielded a punt by the Bears toward the end of the first half, and after returning it 17 yards, he ran out of bounds on the Chicago sideline.
Still running at full speed, Golden crashed into an unsuspecting Bears coach, who went tumbling to the ground after the blindside hit.
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Bears kicker Cairo Santos seemed to witness the act by Golden, and his reaction was one some fans on social media called dirty.
As Golden ran back onto the field, Santos clearly tried to trip the second-year receiver before he got between the white lines. Santos was unsuccessful, but as the broadcast caught the entire act from Golden hitting the Bears coach to the attempted trip, it quickly went viral on social media.
Fans started a discourse over which action was more dirty, and you can suspect where Packers and Bears fans aligned their views.
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In the end, no flags were thrown for either player and the half came to an end.
After the game, Golden admitted to Santos trying to trip him, but took the high road when asked about the incident.
“Yeah, he did. He did. But it’s all good. I ain’t got nothing to say to him,” Golden said.
The 23-year-old Texas product, whom the Packers took in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, caught six passes from quarterback Jordan Love for a career-high 123 yards, including a 50-yard snag to help Green Bay humble the Bears.
And while Golden took the high road, his teammates weren’t as humble. Linebacker Zaire Franklin took aim at Bears receiver Luther Burden III, suggesting that he “ain’t wanna play anymore” and that he “quit today.”
This was a response to Burden saying that Chicago wanted to “beat them real bad and make them quit” prior to their latest meeting.
As divisional foes, they will meet once more this season, with a Christmas Day tilt scheduled in Chicago. By then, playoff implications could be at stake, which would heighten the tension even more between these bitter rivals.
As things stand after Week 5, the Minnesota Vikings lead the NFC North at 5-0, while the Packers, Bears and Lions are all 3-2 on the year.
