"I know he was thinking of me" - Bears legend once again takes a dig at Aaron Rodgers

Dick Butkus vs. Aaron Rodgers is a duel that only exists in the fantasies of Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers fans. It won't happen on the gridiron, but Butkus at least appears determined to create a Twitter battle between himself and his fellow midwestern football legend.

Rodgers' name has returned to the top of the NFL news cycle after a lengthy Instagram post that many believed to hint at retirement.

The multi-photo tribute featured special shoutouts to teammates like Randall Cobb and David Bakhtiari, as well as his fiancé Shailene Woodley in the wake of rumors of their breakout.

Butkus, however, appears to feel left out, saying the following:

"I didn't see my name mentioned in the list of people @AaronRodgers12 thanked and loved but I know he was thinking of me."

Butkus, a recent newcomer to the social media giant, has continued his assault on quarterbacks since opening his account.

Another virtual victim was Tim Tebow, as Butkus turned to this week's player selection proceedings in the upcoming USFL reboot in another joke towards the Heisman Trophy winner and his rollercaster professional career.

This isn't the first time the Bears legend has targeted Rodgers

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Rodgers remains one of the primary targets of Butkus' social media scorchings adding a curious new wrinkle to the long-standing Bears-Packers rivalry (Butkus is a Hall of Fame linebacker as a Chicago Bears player).

Honing in on Rodgers appears to stem from the modern quarterback's claim to "own" the Bears following the teams' October tilt in Chicago.

Rodgers owns a 22-5 record against the team since taking over Green Bay's franchise quarterback role in 2008 and has won each of the last six meetings.

An eventful six months for Rodgers, headlined by an MVP effort on the field, controversy over his COVID-19 vaccination status, and relationship with star actress Shailene Woodley, has been closely watched by Butkus, who previously cracked a few jokes on the rumored split between Rodgers and the "Big Little Lies" star:

Rodgers' sense of fashion likewise wasn't off limits to Butkus, who compared the quarterback's appearance at the recent NFL Honors ceremony to Frank Gifford's Monday Night Football attire from the 1970s.

Chicago fans, perhaps yearning for any sort of win over the Packers in this day and age, have reveled in his comments.

Alas, for those in the Windy City, it perhaps also means that any dreams of Rodgers donning an orange wishbone C on his helmet, minuscule as they were, are likely eradicated on a permanent basis.