Former Packer AJ Hawk LOVES the Revival of the Chicago Bears Rivalry

Here with A.J. Hawk, former Green Bay Packer. Obviously, we're CSGO Sports, and we're out of Chicago, so it's my duty to go around to anyone that either played for the Packers. I mean, this is perfect. I mean, the Bears finally are showing up in this rivalry, so I have to flex, I mean, a little bit. You've got to give me this opportunity. I know you were on the right side of it for some time, but how do you see this? Because it's interesting now that this rivalry feels like it's getting amped up a little bit. I mean, I think it's good, honestly. A rivalry needs to be a lot of good back and forth. I don't I want the Packers to win. I think, you know, I don't know what my record would be against Chicago. I was in Green Bay nine years. Probably pretty good. It's probably pretty good. But yeah, we had, I mean, had Brent Favre and Aaron Rodgers had some good quarterbacks in there. That's the biggest thing. But Lovey was there too. So there was a little bit of a awesome right. All those guys were awesome. Grossman was awesome for a while. Jay Cutler, like they were, they were really good when I was there too. So we're kind of back to that. I think it's good. Any rivalry, you need them both to be good. I think that's and I mean the Ben Johnson the floor all of it is like I think it's all great for football Yeah, that was pretty funny, right? You see the handshake and the flex on each other We've kind of gotten past that a little bit in sports Everybody's like trading jerseys after games these two guys We don't like each other and we're not afraid to say it. Yeah, I think maybe yeah, they need that like Rivalry games need that it doesn't hurt and they'll be I'm sure they respect each other and there'll be great friends eventually some day and hang out maybe. But right now when you're one's coaching the Bears one coach in the Packers like might not be the most cordial situation every time Well I know you think with college the landscape with NIL and transfer portal like rivalries are starting to dissipate in college so like we need them somewhere Yeah, hopefully it all starts to come back. Like, yeah, maybe it's, I don't know, hopefully colleges don't, they don't die, the rivalries, but, yeah, it's definitely going to be different with guys jumping around teams. But, yeah, you're right, in the NFL, these, when I got to Green Bay, Mike McCarthy did a great job of explaining and showing to us how big of a deal the Packers-Bears rivalry, showing us clips in film from way back in the day and everything that goes into it. Yeah, this is a special thing to be a part of. So I think players on both sides, I hope they understand. I'm sure they do. Definitely, when you watch them play, it seems like that. They understand the magnitude of this whole rivalry. Do you feel like the linebacker position is kind of caught in the middle right now? of where when the reason I say that is passing was like taking over the universe, you know, with Peyton and Brady at the end of their career, the numbers were starting to get insane. Now the run game seems to be coming back in the NFL. And you know how NFL trends can be. So how difficult is it as a linebacker in this kind of transition to you're either not fast enough. Now the run game, you got to be tough enough. Like how do you find your right spot to stick in the NFL and survive? It's hard now. I mean, you got to, especially in linebacker, you got to be able to do everything. You got to be a super stout in the run game and then obviously have to cover dudes like Chris McCaffrey out of the backfield. So it's not an easy position. That's for sure. But guys do like you see everything goes like in cycles I think we seeing more now Some more teams are obviously they trying to establish a run So we trying to keep some bigger guys in there Maybe linebackers not have a nickel or a dime safety come down and help you out. But you've got to be able to do everything. You've got to be able to tackle in space. You've got to be able to cover in space. And you also have to be like very strong at the point of attack and be able to get off of blocks. So it's not easy. That's why it's a fun position. Let me ask you this with Caleb Williams. Were you a believer coming in or even in that first year with through adversity and then obviously the year he's had, you know, and the unbelievable comebacks. What did you see from Caleb here this year? And honestly, like, kind of bring us to where it started with him. Like, did you think that he could get to a level or even a level where a lot of Bears fans hope he can go, and that's to be a Super Bowl champion? Yeah, I mean, I had high expectations for him coming in because I watched him play in college. And, like, the guy does stuff that not really anyone else can do. Like, he's special. And seeing what he's been able to do with Ben Johnson is crazy. I go back to training camp this year. There was all the talk how, I don't know, Ben Johnson's bringing in the scheme, and they're talking about how detail-oriented he was. When I heard that, I was like, okay, this is good for the Bears. Any coach that is like that that's fanatical about exactly how they need to run things like that, I think every player we saw, they bought in real early on. Real fast. Yeah, they definitely bought in. Because if a coach shows you and can give you examples, hey, this will help you make a play here and there, this will help us win. Players will do anything for that guy. I think Ben Johnson done that early you know this early in Chicago But Caleb I mean the guy ceiling is off the charts Like he yeah I think I was definitely thought he could be this play this well I don I guess I don know if you can predict all like the late game heroics and how awesome he is when the game means the most. That's a huge huge thing that I think he'll carry on throughout his career. But yeah I mean it's it's tough for this can be NFC North is there's no joke right now. And obviously with the Bears and what Ben Johnson has going on man they're they look great. No it's ridiculous right. I mean you talk about the coaches and you're right. Ben Johnson at camp, you can see it. I mean, he was a fan in the stand spectator, gone to camp for 20 years. There is a difference when a coach has the details like that. He'll pull guys off the field if they're not doing things right. And so you can see the players respond to that quickly. But 100% with you got Dan Campbell, you got Matt LaFleur, you got Ben Johnson, Kevin O'Connell. You know, to get all those teams had a winning record this year. That was only the second time a four-team division all had winning records. So it's pretty brutal in the NFC North. It is. I mean, that's how they want it. That's how it should be, I think. If you can get through the NFC North, you can get through anyone. I think that bodes well for the playoffs as long as you don't beat each other up too much along the way. But, yeah, I think it's always good for your division to have a good team. You're going to get to the playoffs, and you're going to be battle-hardened. You're going to be battle-tested, and you're not going to be surprised by anything you see. All right. Well, really appreciate your time, AJ. Had to have a little fun with you. I mean, Bears finally got the NFC North here. We've got a playoff win, so I had to flex on you a little bit here. But rivalry is back, but appreciate your time. Of course. Thank you. It's A.J. Hogg.