On face value, the latest edition of the Bears-Packers rivalry on Sunday would appear to be an uninteresting matchup.
Neither team in the NFL's oldest rivalry has had a great year. The Packers enter the contest 4-8, while the Bears are 3-9. Aaron Rodgers will play, but is battling injuries. Justin Fields is still questionable heading into the game.
But an important milestone is on the line in this clash, in what feels like a scripted moment for the NFL. The Bears and Packers head into the game tied with 786 wins each, which is tied for the record for most NFL wins. The winner on Sunday, assuming there is one, will sit atop the all-time list, with few teams even close to them.
Where do all the teams rank in all-time wins? Here's a look at the numbers.
Most wins in NFL franchise history
The Bears and Packers are tied at 786 for the most wins by a team in NFL history.
| Rank | Franchise | Wins |
|---|---|---|
| T-1 | Bears | 786 |
| T- | Packers | 786 |
| 3 | Giants | 713 |
| 4 | Steelers | 656 |
| 5 | Commanders | 624 |
| 6 | Eagles | 609 |
| 7 | 49ers | 606 |
| 8 | Rams | 602 |
| 9 | Cardinals | 581 |
| 10 | Lions | 574 |
| 11 | Colts | 547 |
| 12 | Cowboys | 546 |
| 13 | Browns | 545 |
| 14 | Patriots | 535 |
| 15 | Chiefs | 516 |
| 16 | Vikings | 512 |
| 17 | Broncos | 498 |
| 18 | Raiders | 495 |
| 19 | Dolphins | 484 |
| 20 | Chargers | 474 |
| 21 | Titans | 470 |
| 22 | Bills | 457 |
| 23 | Jets | 421 |
| 24 | Saints | 400 |
| 25 | Falcons | 381 |
| T-26 | Bengals | 380 |
| T-26 | Seahawks | 380 |
| 28 | Buccaneers | 296 |
| 29 | Ravens | 240 |
| 30 | Panthers | 209 |
| 31 | Jaguars | 184 |
| 32 | Texans | 140 |
In the beginning of the NFL, back when it was called the American Professional Football Association, a team called the Decatur Staleys one 10 games in 1920. The next season, the Chicago Staleys won nine games. In 1922, the first year of the newly termed National Football League, the Chicago Bears won nine more.
The Staleys-turned-Bears have always been the NFL's winningest team. They did not have a losing season until 1952, when they went 5-7. By that point, they had accumulated 304 wins and seven championships. The Packers, who have been around since 1921, were also a consistent title threat in the early days of the NFL, but had their share of struggles.
On Sunday, after more than 100 years, the Bears are in a serious risk of falling to second on the all-time wins list. Chicago led the Packers by as many as 85 wins in 1991. But three decades of struggles for Chicago while the Packers have enjoyed back-to-back Canton-bound quarterbacks has rapidly narrowed the gap.
Since 1991, only the Patriots (327) have more wins than the Packers and Steelers (314). In that time, the Bears rank 20th with 236 wins. The Packers have a record of 314-193-2 since 1991, while the Bears are at 236-273.
While the Packers might have caught up to the Bears, these two teams can expect to remain at the top for a long time. There is not another team particularly close, with the Giants 73 wins back of both franchises at 713.
Here's a look at the all-time wins leaders throughout the history of the NFL.