The rivalry between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears is one of the longest-running ones in the league. These teams have been squaring off against one another since 1921, and the hatred between these teams hasn't faded once.
After another underwhelming season for the Bears, Chicago made some sweeping changes on the roster, which included hiring Ben Johnson to be the head coach. During his opening presser in Chicago, Johnson said he "kind of enjoyed beating" LaFleur twice a year, which made the decision to become the Bears' head coach easier.
That statement made its rounds inside the Packers building, but LaFleur didn't give it any attention. He was a guest on the "Bussin' With The Boys" podcast and was asked if he had beef with Johnson, and LaFleur didn't give this any energy.
He stated, "I don't know Ben Johnson. Do I have beef? I don't know Ben Johnson. I respect him as a football coach, he did a nice job (in Detroit). I thought it was interesting, the press conference was interesting, but I don't have beef with him. I don't get all into that stuff."
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur deflected when asked if he has beef with Bears head coach Ben Johnson. https://t.co/wQ3aNyFTVB pic.twitter.com/3eiYYAHcE2
— Bears Wire (@TheBearsWire) May 1, 2025
Matt LaFleur Doesn’t Feed Into Ben Johnson Comments
While LaFleur took the high road and didn't feed into the extra drama, it's certainly something that caught his attention. Him saying he found his comments "interesting" showcases that LaFleur heard what Johnson said loud and clear, but he'll wait until these teams play on the field.
Johnson took over as the Lions' offensive coordinator in 2022 and has gone 6-1 in those outings against Green Bay. Those wins got to his head, and now he believes it'll be the same thing in the Windy City. Since LaFleur took over as the head coach in 2019, he has an 11-1 record against Chicago.
He will look to continue that dominance in 2025 and will have some extra motivation after getting called out by Johnson.