Ben Johnson was announced as the new head coach of the Chicago Bears, and the former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator took a subtle dig at Matt LaFleur in his introductory press conference with the team.
It created a lot of buzz as Johnson and the Green Bay Packers head coach aren’t friends and have not worked together in the past. The Bears’ head coach recently explained he decided to talk about LaFleur, and made it clear there was no animosity behind it.
Ben Johnson Makes Things Clear About Matt LaFleur
Johnson praised Kevin O’Connell and Dan Campbell during his introductory press conference and mentioned how much he “enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year.” He was asked about his comments on LaFleur while appearing on ESPN’s “First Take.”
“It’s just a friendly banter,” Johnson said. “I have a lot of respect for Matt. I’ve told him that as recently as a month ago, and so it comes from a good place. It’s, listen, there’s a strong rivalry here between the Bears and the Packers. I’m well aware of it. I’m well aware of this division. I have a ton of respect, obviously, for all the coaches.”
"We're gonna get their best shot, and we're gonna give them our best shot." 😤
Bears HC Ben Johnson on saying he "kind of enjoyed beating" Packers HC Matt LaFleur twice a year when he was with the Lions 👀 pic.twitter.com/LAANFhZ6ng
— First Take (@FirstTake) January 24, 2025
“There are, I think, 17 Pro Bowl players here [in NFC North],” Johnson added. “There’s a ton of talent. If anything, it’s all about competition. And listen, we’re going to get their best shot. We’re going to give them our best shot, and we’ll see where the chips fall.”
The NFC North is by far the toughest division in football, as all four teams will be playoff contenders next season. The Bears disappointed everyone with their underachievement in Caleb Williams’ rookie season, so a coaching change was inevitable.
Chicago one of the best candidates available in this year’s coaching cycle. Johnson could help the Bears quarterback reach his potential of becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
As for LaFleur, although the Bears head coach was just joking about him, the Packers head coach will keep his team ready to put on a show against Chicago next season, similar to what they have done over the years.
Johnson Went 5–1 Against Packers As Lions OC
The Bears are 1-11 in their last 12 games against the Packers, and they snapped their 11-game losing streak against Green Bay in Week 18 of this past NFL season. Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love have haunted them over the years, but Chicago now has a head coach who has had immense success against the Packers.
Johnson was 5-1 against the Packers during his time in Detroit and swept them this season with the Lions. He will hope to have similar success in Chicago as Bears fans would love to dominate Green Bay for years to come.
The Packers lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round this season, so they will be determined to bounce back. Notably, Love failed to build on his impressive performance last season, so all eyes will be on him once the next season starts in September.
Love and Williams could be the two best quarterbacks in the NFC by the end of next season, and it will be interesting to see how the next generation of the Packers-Bears rivalry will fold. Not only the quarterbacks but both the teams have offensive geniuses in place as their head coaches. As a result, the fans will be treated with a good brand of football, which is good for the league.