The No. 2 seed Chicago Bears (11-6) will play the No. 7 seed Green Bay Packers (9-7-1) at Soldier Field in a wild-card playoff game. Here’s what you need to know before kickoff (7 p.m., Prime Video and Fox-32). Want the latest Bears news? Subscribe to the Chicago Tribune to read it all — and si gn up for our free Bears Insider newsletter. 5 things to watch for — plus our playoff predictions Bears wide receiver DJ Moore finds a hole in the Packers defense in the first quarter at Soldier Field on Dec. 20, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) The rivalry doesn’t get much more real than Saturday’s wild-card game. The NFC North foes will meet for the 213th time, including the postseason, the only series in NFL history to exceed 200 games. Yet the Bears and Packers have faced off only twice in the playoffs, with the Bears losing the most recent meeting 21-14 in the NFC championship game on Jan. 23, 2011. The other playoff meeting came so long ago it was played at Wrigley Field. The Bears won 33-14 on Dec. 14, 1941. “I was kind of surprised to see how few times that’s happened in the postseason, so it’s pretty cool,” Bears coach Ben Johnson said Thursday. The Bears have won two of the last three regular-season meetings — but that’s after 11 straight losses in the series. Read more here. Rome Odunze is ‘planning on playing’ in Bears playoff game after missing the last 5 games Column: Will Tyrique Stevenson get shot to help leaky Bears secondary? ‘There’ll be a plan in place.’ Caleb Williams is ready to meet the moment Bears quarterback Caleb Williams takes the field to face the Browns on Dec. 14, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) The stage is larger, the lights are brighter and pressure is ratcheted up in the postseason as Caleb Williams prepares for his first playoff game. It’s a great addition to the rich and colorful rivalry, but the stakes are higher and a chance to pursue a Super Bowl far transcends bragging rights in the upper Midwest. “He was built for these moments,” Bears coach Ben Johnson said of Williams. “He plays his best when we need him to, and so there’s really not a whole lot that needs to be said. He just needs to be him.” Read more here. Column: Ben Johnson is crafting a plan to clean up errors — and get Bears back on track for playoffs Packers QB Jordan Love believes he has learned from previous playoff disappointments Short on postseason experience, Bears need these key players to deliver Bears safety Kevin Byard III celebrates a 31-28 win over the Steelers at Soldier Field on Nov. 23, 2025, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune) This moment is why a team brings in a veteran such as safety Kevin Byard III. It’s why general manager Ryan Poles traded for guard Joe Thuney, who has 21 playoff games under his belt (tied for sixth-most among active players). It’s why Poles signed guys such as linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards and doled out some of the franchise’s biggest contracts to veterans such as receiver DJ Moore, defensive end Montez Sweat and cornerback Jaylon Johnson. Read more here. 6 Bears players who could emerge as unsung heroes if they make a playoff run ‘She’s been at every game’: Bears’ Jonathan Owens celebrating ‘special’ season with wife Simone Biles Will Cole Kmet’s sister — who dates a Packer — root for the Bears? ‘I’ll find out after.’ Bears preparing for intense atmosphere — on the field and in the stands A fan dressed as the Grinch is seen behind a Green Bay Packers “cheese head” fan during a game between the Chicago Bears and the Packers at Soldier Field in Chicago on Dec. 20, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) The Bears last made the postseason in 2020, led by coach Matt Nagy and quarterback Mitch Trubisky. They lost 21-9 to the Saints on Jan 10, 2021, in New Orleans. They last hosted a playoff game on Jan. 6, 2019, a 16-15 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles — the infamous “Double Doink” game. Bears players witnessed raucous crowds as visitors to hostile Lambeau Field in Week 14, when they lost 28-21 to the Packers, and again on their home turf in Week 16, when Soldier Field erupted after Williams connected with DJ Moore on a 46-yard touchdown pass in overtime for a 22-16 victory. So a third game against the hated Packers at Soldier Field? Could it get any rowdier? “I wouldn’t expect nothing less,” Byard said. Read more here. Week 14 recap: Caleb Williams’ 4th-down INT seals Bears loss to Packers Week 16 recap: Bears erase 10-point deficit in 4th quarter to stun Packers 22-16 in OT Bears and Packers have played 212 times in the past 100 years: How the rivalry has unfolded How to watch tonight’s playoff game Bears fans Tony Hurtte, center, and Charlie McGuire tailgate before the game against the Packers on Dec. 20, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Amazon gained exclusive rights to broadcast “Thursday Night Football” on its Prime Video streaming service starting in 2022. Prime Video also has rights to the annual Black Friday game on the day after Thanksgiving. Beginning last season, Prime Video gained exclusive rights to one wild-card round playoff game per year. That deal reportedly will last through the 2032 season. Read more here. Fan fever builds in Chicago ahead of Bears’ playoff game, from food delivery to foam cheese grater hats Ben Johnson says keeping a routine — workout? movie? — is key for Bears to combat playoff pressure NFL coaching and GM tracker Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham, left, and general manager Ryan Poles walk the field before a game on Oct. 26, 2025. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) The NFL head coach and general manager hiring cycles went into full force this week. Candidates will interview over the next month. With their success under first-year coach Ben Johnson, the Bears are happy to be talking about the playoffs rather than the hiring cycle. But the hires that happen in the coming weeks still could affect the Bears. NFL teams love to hire head coaches and coordinators from successful teams, and at 11-6 the NFC North champion Bears would qualify. If a team wanted to interview a candidate on Johnson’s staff for its head coach opening, an initial virtual interview cannot happen until Jan. 13. Teams generally won’t begin interviewing candidates for coordinator positions until after they’ve hired a head coach. Here’s the latest NFL hiring news that could be of interest to Bears fans. Read more here. Ex-Bears coach Matt Eberflus fired by Cowboys after 1 season as their defensive coordinator John Harbaugh fired as Ravens coach after 18 seasons, including a Super Bowl win What are the NFL’s rules about timing and interviews for coaching searches during the playoffs? ...read more read less