Chris Lempesis is back in the basement Packer room for another Tuesday night edition of Emptying The Bag, doing what he does best: cracking open the mailbag, cracking open a beer, and working through the thoughts, frustrations, hopes, fears, and movie references of Packers fans everywhere.
He opens this one on a reflective note, telling a story about a long-ago Packers–Bears game he attended — a far better memory than what fans have been dealing with lately. It’s a moment of holiday-season nostalgia that serves as a reminder of why this rivalry matters, why it always feels bigger than the standings, and why even after heartbreak, fans keep coming back for more.
From there, it’s straight into the questions and comments sent in from social media and email. As always, nothing is off-limits. Lempesis breaks down the latest on Jordan Love’s chances of playing Saturday night against Baltimore, what the offense might look like if he can’t go, and how much risk the Packers should really be willing to take this late in the season.
He also tackles the growing discussion around Matt LaFleur’s future, addressing whether the head coach has done enough to earn a contract extension this offseason, how the front office is likely viewing the season as a whole, and what LaFleur’s body of work says about where this team is actually headed.
And because it’s a Lemps mailbag show, things eventually veer delightfully off the rails — including a spirited detour into the cinematic masterpiece Necessary Roughness, why it still rules, and why sometimes football stories (and football movies) are about heart, grit, and dumb belief more than perfect execution.
It’s a classic Emptying The Bag episode: thoughtful without being precious, emotional without being melodramatic, and funny without ever losing the thread of what Packers fans are really feeling right now. No hot-take theater. No fake optimism. Just honest conversation, shared misery, and the occasional reminder that football is supposed to be fun — even when it hurts.
Grab a beer, settle in, and open the mailbag one more time.
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You can follow Chris on twitter at LempsMKE (@ItsJustChrisNow)
LempsTalkinPack is a part of the Packers Talk family of podcasts, serving up five distinct podcasts to satisfy the most fervent of Packer fans. Variety is the spice of life, so subscribe to Packers Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow Packers Talk on Twitter and Facebook.
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You can follow Chris on twitter at LempsMKE (@ItsJustChrisNow)
LempsTalkinPack is a part of the Packers Talk family of podcasts, serving up five distinct podcasts to satisfy the most fervent of Packer fans. Variety is the spice of life, so subscribe to Packers Talk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow Packers Talk on Twitter and Facebook.
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The post Emptying The Bag ’25: Bears Edition, Part Two | LempsTalkinPack #243 first appeared on PackersTalk.com Blog Posts and Podcasts.