As the NFL offseason continues, Chicago Bears fans still can't wait to see what new head coach Ben Johnson can accomplish on the gridiron. The former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator was brought to the Windy City nearly three months ago, and he quickly became a fan favorite after making an early shot at one of the Bears' division rivals.
"I know that (the NFC North) is the toughest division in football right now," Johnson said during his introductory press conference in January. "To be quite frank with you, I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year."
It's been a while since Johnson made those remarks; however, that clearly hasn't been enough time for the Green Bay Packers head coach to get over them.
Packers HC Matt LaFleur Still Upset by Ben Johnson Comments
Like other NFL head coaches, LaFleur is in Florida for the league's annual meetings this week. On Tuesday morning, the Packers head coach was asked about Johnson's comments, and his response revealed that it still bothers him.
"I’m sure he’s playing to the (Bears) fans a little bit," LaFleur said, per Chicago Sun Times' Patrick Finley. "It is what it is. I’m not going to lose too much sleep over that."
Matt LaFleur said Ben Johnson was playing to the #Bears fan base when he took a shot at the #Packers coach in January: https://t.co/gTGO8Uxus8
— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) April 1, 2025
Even though LaFleur tried to play it coy, the fact that he said Johnson was "playing to" Bears fans indicates that Chicago's bench boss got to him. After all, the Bears' new leader has had the Packers HC's number in recent years.
After being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2022, Johnson helped lead the Lions to a 5-1 record against LaFleur's Packers throughout the last three seasons. It's been quite a one-sided affair as Detroit scored an average of 24.8 points while holding Green Bay to a 19.8 PPG clip.
In other words, nobody can blame Johnson for wanting to continue beating LaFleur twice per season. Even if the 38-year-old head coach's comments were to hype up Bears fans, it was also to show the fanbase that he knows how to handle one of the NFL's top coaches despite lacking his own experience behind the bench.
It's going to be interesting to see how the Johnson-LaFleur rivalry develops going forward. Although the pair have had limited in-person interactions, the feud could quickly reach new heights with the NFC North rivals facing off against each other at least twice each season.
Speaking of the division outlook, Chicago and Green Bay have some catching up to do. The Lions are currently FanDuel Sportsbook's favorite (+125) to win the NFC North in 2025, while the Packers and Bears sit second and third at +280 and +480 odds, respectively.
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