Football is a sport built on tradition. Some rivalries never fade, and new rituals rarely break through. But when it comes to facing the Green Bay Packers, their NFC rivals have made it clear they are more than willing to challenge what was once considered untouchable. For decades, the Packers’ cheesehead hats were an iconic, almost exclusive symbol of their fan base. Now, Chicago has found a response that flips that identity on its head-quite literally.
What started as a visual joke has turned into a shared statement. The foam cheese grater hats, designed as a clear twist on Green Bay’s famous cheeseheads, have quickly become a trend in the stands during Bears-Packers matchups. There is no hesitation anymore. Fans wear them openly, proudly, and with a clear message attached.
From viral moment to sideline statement
What started as a visual joke has turned into a shared statement
The idea first gained traction when Simone Biles went viral for using a cheese grater after a Bears win over Green Bay, but the concept did not stop there. The hats took on a life of their own, reshaping the narrative. Their popularity surged once Caleb Williams entered the picture and pushed the moment further than anyone expected.
Williams, the Bears’ second-year quarterback and emerging franchise cornerstone, leaned fully into the trend during a postgame interview. Alongside several teammates, he wore the foam cheese grater hat, then added a real block of cheese and a handheld grater, shredding it on camera. It was a slick visual that nearly crossed the line, but it landed exactly where Chicago wanted it to
That celebration came after a game that already carried historic weight. Chicago erased a 21-6 deficit and pulled out a 31-27 win in the final seconds. It marked the Bears’ first playoff victory in 15 years, a milestone that naturally led to unfiltered emotion across the roster. For many veterans, it was unfamiliar territory. For Williams, it was a defining moment after a rookie season filled with growing pains.
A rivalry sharpened by context
Speaking with the NFL on Prime Video crew after the game, Williams reflected the mood inside Soldier Field. The quarterback and his teammates embraced the now-iconic celebration that fans had been displaying all night. The foam grater hats came first, followed by the real cheese, a clear visual message directed straight at Green Bay.
The clips spread quickly across social media, turning the celebration into a new trend almost overnight. What once felt like a harmless jab now looks like a recurring storyline. From Green Bay’s perspective, the moment appears to have backfired, forcing the franchise and its fans to reckon with a symbol that now works against them.
For Chicago, the timing could not have been better. The Bears seized the opportunity, not just to celebrate a long-awaited playoff win, but to stamp their identity onto one of the NFL’s most enduring rivalries. The cheese grater is no longer a one-off joke. It is a reminder that this rivalry continues to evolve, sharpen, and find new ways to irritate the opposition-exactly how rivalry football is supposed to work.
