Packers Legend Brett Favre Fires Back Hard at Rob Gronkowski’s Take on Matt LaFleur Right Before Bears Showdown

Green Bay, Wisconsin – 12/04/2025

Right on the eve of the massive Packers–Bears rivalry clash, a firestorm erupted when Rob Gronkowski criticized Matt LaFleur’s offensive scheme, calling the Packers’ system “vanilla”  simple and lacking creativity. The comments spread like wildfire among analysts and fans, especially with Ben Johnson’s Bears being hailed as one of the most modern and daring offenses in the NFL.

But one Packers icon wasn’t staying quiet: Brett Favre. The Super Bowl XXXI legend strongly disagreed with Gronkowski and argued that the assessment completely misses the true nature of LaFleur and how the Packers operate. Favre stressed that every system has its own philosophy and simple does not mean weak especially when the team is in the thick of a tight playoff race.

Favre insisted LaFleur always knows how to adjust the scheme to the situation and personnel, calling it a subtlety outsiders sometimes fail to see: “You can say what you see on TV, but you’re not in the meeting room with Matt. He knows exactly when to explode and when to control. And I’ll say it straight this system is not vanilla at all.” 

Brett Favre then pointed to three key reasons why Green Bay is not only legitimate, but primed to dominate Chicago this Sunday:

1. Jordan Love is on fire — and outclasses Caleb Williams under pressure.
Love has thrown for 1,140 yards and 12 touchdowns over his last four games without a single sack — the longest streak in the NFL. His 103.8 passer rating and blitz rating above 135 have shredded opposing defenses. Meanwhile, rookie Caleb Williams has been sacked 48 times and owns a 78.2 rating under pressure — third worst in the league. Brett  noted: “That’s not ‘vanilla’ — that’s surgical.”

2. The Packers have the healthiest and most diverse skill group in the league.
With Jayden Reed, Tucker Kraft, Dontayvion Wicks, and Christian Watson all contributing multiple touchdowns — and RB Josh Jacobs adding five more on the ground — the Packers don’t rely on any single weapon. Meanwhile, the Bears may be without top WR DJ Moore and Keenan Allen is still limited. “Depth wins in December,” Brett said.

3. The run game is peaking at the perfect time.
Josh Jacobs has exploded for 583 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns over the past four games, and rookie MarShawn Lloyd is returning from injury. Without nose tackle Andrew Billings, the Bears have fallen to 25th in the NFL against the run. “If the Packers pound the rock like they did last week, it opens up everything for Love”.

With the heavyweight backing of one of the greatest quarterbacks in franchise history, the Packers head into the game with even more fire. LaFleur hasn’t publicly responded to Gronkowski, but Favre just sent the message for him loud and clear: Green Bay doesn’t need to be loud to be dangerous. In an atmosphere thick with rivalry and pride, this weekend’s Packers vs. Bears isn’t just about the standings it’s about answering the question of whose offensive approach truly reigns supreme.