The Bears Are Not Playing With “House Money” — Opportunities Like This Are Rare

There’s a lot of talk around Chicago right now that the Chicago Bears are playing with "house money" in these playoffs.

Talk that the stakes of Saturday night’s game against the Green Bay Packers are somehow lower because the Bears exceeded expectations this season.

I’m here to dispel that idea right now.

The funny thing about expectations is that they’re completely subjective — and they change. Year to year. Week to week. Sometimes even day to day.

So while most Bears fans probably didn’t picture 11 wins, an NFC North title, and a home playoff game when the season began, expectations rise alongside success. The more this team has accomplished, the more possible it’s proven the future can be.

That’s why I don’t buy the “house money” argument. It devalues this season. It takes this moment for granted. And it treats a golden opportunity like something disposable.

I’m not in the business of taking home playoff games for granted. No Bears fan should be, given this franchise’s history — and especially not when the team holds the No. 2 seed with a legitimate chance to host multiple playoff games in January.

It feels like much of Chicago, still carrying decades of trauma from being dominated by Green Bay, is bracing itself for an inevitable loss on Saturday night. It’s as if fans and media alike are trying to cope with defeat before the ball is even kicked.

If you can convince yourself it’s house money, maybe it won’t sting as much if the Bears come up short.

I have no interest in doing that.

The Bears have a real opportunity on Saturday night. They’re at home, in front of a raucous crowd. The last four matchups with the Packers have all come down to the final play.

And while Chicago didn’t finish the regular season in dominant fashion, Green Bay limped into the playoffs — injured, battered, and riding a four-game losing streak.

If the Bears play their best football, they should win.

And if they win, they’ll host another playoff game at Soldier Field — potentially against a Philadelphia Eagles team they dominated in the regular season, or a Carolina Panthers team they are simply better than.

A playoff run is on the table. Those don’t come around often.

The Bears aren’t the favorites in the NFC. But given the seeding and the offense’s ability to rise in big moments, there is a legitimate path to the Super Bowl.

And I’m not comfortable writing that off as “house money.” I’m not comfortable assuming Chicago will just be back next year because things look promising right now.

Contending windows in the NFL are fleeting.

Just ask the Washington Commanders. They went 12–5 with a rookie quarterback and stormed all the way to the NFC Championship Game last season. Everyone assumed they’d be back. Instead, they went 5–12, their young quarterback got hurt, and the franchise now looks completely lost.

Was that NFC title game house money? Or was it the best shot they were ever going to get?

The Cincinnati Bengals reached the Super Bowl in Joe Burrow’s second season. That could’ve been called house money at the time. Since then? One AFC Championship loss and three straight years without a playoff appearance. Burrow famously said, “The window’s my whole career.” Reality hasn’t agreed.

The Detroit Lions looked built for long-term dominance. They went 15–2 in 2024 — then lost their first playoff game. Aaron Glenn left for a head coaching job. Ben Johnson left for Chicago. The roster aged, got expensive, and got injured. Suddenly it was 9–8 and no playoffs. Time will tell if that was a blip or the cost of missing their moment.

The 2018 Bears defied expectations, too. Was that postseason run house money? Because after Cody Parkey’s double doink, they missed the playoffs the following year — and that core never posted another winning season.

I could keep going.

The point is this, until you establish yourself as a true, well-oiled machine, no playoff appearance can be taken for granted. Especially not one with home games and a favorable path that offers winnable matchups early.

So no — this weekend is not house money for the Chicago Bears.

This is the opportunity.

There may be more in the future. Or there may not. But it would be a mistake to look ahead instead of living in the moment. I hope the players understand that.

They need to come out with an urgency Saturday night that we didn’t see in Week 18 against Detroit. They need to play their best football from the opening kick. Because if they lay an egg on a national stage against their biggest rival, it will sour what has otherwise been a magical season.

Ben Johnson told his team to prepare to play for five weeks.

Bears fans should prepare themselves for that ride, too.

You can take your house money and light it on fire.