Two members of the Green Bay Packers caught social media shade on Friday from one of the newest members of the Chicago Bears.
While the preceding context remains unclear, Bears defensive end Montez Sweat took to X on March 15 to air his grievances with Packers pass rusher Preston Smith and cornerback/kickoff returner Keisean Nixon.
I done developed a real rivalry with Green Bay blame @PrestonSmith91 & @keiseannixon it’s up🤬👿
— Montez Sweat (@_sweat9) March 15, 2024
“I done developed a real rivalry with Green Bay blame @PrestonSmith91 and @keiseannixon it’s up 🤬 😈,” Sweat posted.
Smith responded in short order with a post of his own.
🤷🏽♂️ see you on the other side https://t.co/AjTVDnmDWF
— Preston Smith (@PrestonSmith91) March 15, 2024
“🤷♂️ see you on the other side,” he wrote.
Not long after, Nixon chimed in with a slightly more inflammatory message than the one issued by his teammate.
Montez Sweat Relatively New to Bears-Packers Rivalry
Sweat’s public declaration of a feud with the Packers based on words and/or actions from Smith and Nixon is interesting, as Sweat is so new to the NFC North Division.
Chicago traded a second-round pick to the Washington Commanders to acquire Sweat in late October 2023, before ultimately signing him to a four-year extension worth $98 million that will keep the edge rusher in the Windy City through the 2027 campaign.
Sweat has played only one game against the Packers as a member of the Bears, which took place in Week 18 — the last time Chicago was on a professional field of play. The contest was held at Lambeau Field, where the Bears fell to the Packers by a score of 17-9.
The win carried Green Bay into the playoffs, where the team defeated the Dallas Cowboys over Super Wildcard Weekend before falling on the road to the San Francisco 49ers by just 3 points in gut-wrenching fashion. Sweat tallied 3 tackles in that game, including 1 tackle for loss.
The Packers also bested the Bears in Chicago by a score of 38-20 in Week 1, though Sweat was still a member of the Commanders at that point.
Preston Smith, Keisean Nixon Both Project as Starters on Packers Defense Next Season
Both Smith and Nixon have considerably more history in Green Bay than Sweat does in Chicago, and both players are poised to remain fixtures of the Packers’ defense for several seasons to come.
Smith has been with the franchise for the last five seasons and is currently playing on a four-year, $52 million deal that will keep him under contract through 2026. He has tallied 41.5 sacks for Green Bay over the past five years, appearing in 82 of a possible 83 regular-season games over that stretch (79 starts).
Nixon joined the Packers ahead of the 2022 campaign and has spent the last two years with the franchise, earning first-team All-Pro honors as a kickoff returner in each season. He signed a new three-year contract worth $18 million total this offseason to remain with Green Bay through 2026.
Nixon has also become an important member of the Packers’ secondary. He started just four games on defense two seasons back, before starting 13 contests last year as the team’s nickel cornerback.
