Ben Johnson Sends a Message to Matt LaFleur After Beating Green Bay
The Chicago Bears comeback win over Green Bay on Sunday is one many Bears fans will remember for a long time. But Ben Johnson managed to add one more unforgettable moment and it came after the final whistle.
As the Bears completed one of the most epic comebacks of the season at Soldier Field, cameras caught Johnson and Matt LaFleur meeting at midfield. The handshake lasted roughly 2.5 seconds. No smiles. Just business. And Bears fans immediately noticed something else: Johnson appeared to mimic the exact same quick, dismissive handshake gesture LaFleur used on him just two weeks earlier when Green Bay won.
Coincidence? Probably not.
Johnson has already made it clear how much this rivalry means to him. In his very first press conference as Bears head coach, he openly said he loved beating the Packers twice a year back when he was in Detroit. That attitude has clearly followed him to Chicago and it showed in that brief, icy exchange.
There’s real bad blood here. The players don’t like each other. The head coaches don’t like each other. And honestly, that’s great for the league. Rivalries are supposed to feel personal, emotional, and a little petty.
Johnson’s response screamed a Michael Jordan–style mentality: remember everything, forget nothing, and use it all as fuel. It’s an elite trait for a head coach — competitive, relentless, and unapologetic.
If this was just the beginning of the Ben Johnson era in Chicago, Bears fans are in for a wild ride.