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Ranking the most important revenge games for the Chicago Bears in 2025

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Pete Martuneac | Last updated May 16, 2025 10:36 AM ET

The Chicago Bears were a flat-out embarrassment in 2024. After drafting quarterback Caleb Williams first overall, the hype went through the roof and, for a couple of weeks, they seemed to be living up to it.

Unfortunately, we all know how the season ultimately unfolded: a ten-game losing streak that included several humiliating beatdowns.

Luckily for the Bears, they're set to face some of the teams that embarrassed them in 2024 again in 2025.

After a universally lauded offseason, fans and the media will be expecting big things from Chicago, and that starts with winning some 'revenge games'.

Here are four that should be considered 'must-wins' for the Bears if they want to be taken seriously as playoff contenders.

3. Week 17 at San Francisco 49ers

A week after firing head coach Matt Eberflus and elevating Thomas Brown from interim offensive coordinator to interim head coach, no one expected the Bears to hang with the 49ers in their own house, but that 38-13 beatdown was still shocking to see.

The Bears are heading back to Levi's Stadium in Week 17 of the 2025 season, and you can bet that they remember the feeling of staring at a 24-0 deficit at halftime. And with the potential for a playoff berth to be on the line, count on the Bears bringing some extra juice to this contest.

2. Both Green Bay Packers games

Once upon a time, the Bears actually held a commanding 24-game lead over the Packers in their rivalry. That was the year Brett Favre was sent to Green Bay. In the 30-plus years since then, the Packers have completely dominated the Bears and are now up by 12 games.

Until this rivalry starts to be more of a true rivalry again and less of a one-sided ownership, every Packers game is going to be a revenge game. Caleb Williams finally ended Green Bay's win streak at 11 with his game-winning drive in Week 18 last year. Now it's up to him to deliver the first sweep of the Packers since 2007.

1. Week 6 at Washington Commanders

This is set to be Chicago's most important non-divisional game in 2025. That loss to Washington last year on a Hail Mary play became a piece of NFL lore: from the way Tyrique Stevenson was taunting the fans after the ball was snapped to the ten-game losing streak this one kickstarted, it's been used as a cudgel to humiliate Chicago fans and players ever since.

The rotten cherry on top was the implication that, by losing to a quarterback selected one spot after Williams, the Bears once again drafted the wrong guy and would soon be thrust into another rebuild.

But the Bears have a chance in 2025 to silence every doubter and exact vengeance in front of the entire country on Monday Night Football. The fans want this one bad, and you can bet the players want it even more. There's bad blood between these teams and you can expect more scuffles and trash talk than your usual non-divisional game.

If the Bears want to be taken seriously in 2025, they have to get their revenge and win this game.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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