Bears Kicker Goes Viral After Attempting to Strike a Packers Receiver Who Knocked Chicago's Coach Off the Sideline

Matthew Golden Collides With Bears Coach on NFC North Sideline; Cairo Santos's Response Goes Viral Shortly After Loss

Packers' Jordan Love and HC Matt LaFleur reflect on statement win over Bears

Quarterback Jordan Love and head coach Matt LaFleur reflect on the statement from the Green Bay Packers' victory over the Chicago Bears.

The Green Bay Packers-Chicago Bears rivalry is one of the best in football, and a viral moment was added to it during the Packers' 31-7 rout of the NFC North foe at Lambeau Field in Week 5.

Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden fumbled a punt by the Bears late in the first half and returned it 17 yards out of bounds in the Chicago sideline.

Golden, still running at full speed, collided with the Bears' no-nonsense coach, who went down on the blind side after the collision.

Bears kicker Cairo Santos appeared to witness Golden's action, and his reaction was one of fans on social media who called it dirty.

As Golden ran down the field, Santos clearly tried to hit the sophomore wide receiver before he got between the white lines. Santos was unsuccessful, but it quickly went viral on social media as replays showed the entire incident, from Golden's hit on the Bears coach to the attempted trip.

Fans started arguing over which act was dirtier, and you can wonder where Packers and Bears fans aligned their views.

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In the end, no flag was thrown for either player and the half ended.

After the game, Golden admitted to Santos' attempt to knock him down, but took the high road when asked about the incident.

"Yeah, he did. He did. But it's all good. I don't have anything to say to him," Golden said.

The 23-year-old Texas product, taken by the Packers in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, caught six passes from quarterback Jordan Love for 123 yards, including a 50-yard catch to help Green Bay humble the Bears.

And while Golden took the high road, his teammates weren't so humble. Linebacker Zaire Franklin took aim at Bears receiver Luther Burden III, telling him he "doesn't want to play anymore" and "resigned today."

That was in response to Burden saying Chicago wanted to "beat them up really bad and leave them" before their last meeting.

As division foes, they will meet one more time this season, scheduled for Christmas Day in Chicago. At that point, playoff implications could be at stake, furthering the tension between these fierce rivals.

Chicago Bears quarterback Cairo Santos plays during a preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals on August 22, 2026 at Picor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Icon Sportswire)

As things stand after Week 5, the Minnesota Vikings are 5-0 in the NFC North, while the Packers, Bears and Lions are all 3-2 on the year.

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