Packers LB Zaire Franklin responds to Luther Burden’s “make them quit” message ahead of Bears game

The Packers’ preparation for Sunday’s matchup with the Bears is being driven as much by last season’s late-game outcomes as by this week’s verbal competition. In a Yahoo Sports report, Packers linebacker Zaire Franklin and his teammates were keyed in on what Bears wide receiver Luther Burden said heading into the game, tying the rivalry’s momentum to a specific mindset: not merely to win, but to break the other team’s spirit late.

Last season, Green Bay and Chicago had multiple late swings in both the regular season and the postseason, leaving the Packers with a familiar theme to point to internally. According to the report, those late collapses are part of what makes the upcoming contest feel personal for Green Bay, even before kickoff at Lambeau Field.

Burden, for his part, framed the Bears’ intent in blunt terms. The report says Burden indicated the Bears wanted to “beat them real bad and make them quit,” a statement that quickly traveled from Chicago’s side into the Packers’ locker room conversation. The implication was clear: the Bears were not aiming for a narrow edge only, but for sustained pressure that forces mistakes, decision-making breakdowns, and resignation as the game wears on.

Franklin’s presence in this story indicates how the Packers are treating the week’s rhetoric as a football problem, not just talk. While the report centers on what Burden said and how Green Bay heard it, Franklin’s role as a defensive leader points to the practical response the Packers are likely emphasizing: hold up late, keep assignments clean, and prevent the Bears from turning early gains into late-game control.

It also matters because Sunday’s matchup sits in the larger rhythm of NFL seasons, where the margin between a clean finish and a late collapse can shape how teams view their own identity. For the Packers, last season’s pattern of letting games slip late is the sort of memory that can become a rallying point, especially when it is reinforced by a direct challenge from an opponent’s key playmaker.

For the Bears, Burden’s message is consistent with the way teams try to translate confidence into game plans. If you believe you can force the opponent into obvious, repeatable problems, you can build a scheme that keeps putting your advantage on the field. The report does not provide play-by-play detail in the excerpted portion, but the core idea is that Chicago wanted the Packers to feel overwhelmed by both execution and pressure.

Going forward, the cleanest way to judge whether Burden’s words turn into outcomes will be how Green Bay handles late-game situations, particularly third downs and critical fourth-quarter possessions. If the Packers can prevent the Bears from controlling tempo and field position deep into games, the rhetoric will look like it was just noise. If Chicago’s offense and coverage can repeatedly create leverage late, Burden’s “make them quit” message will have a sharper meaning.

Because this report is based on what was said during the week, the safest takeaway right now is the emotional and strategic tone it sets. The Packers are treating the Bears’ intent as something to respond to, and Burden is trying to put a psychological stamp on a rivalry game. Whether that turns into lasting momentum will depend on what happens during the actual closing minutes on Sunday, not what was said before kickoff.