One of the great rivalries in the NFL is found in the NFC North as there is no love lost between players, fans and, apparently, the coaches of the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.
As I'm sure Packers fans will remember, Ben Johnson wasted no time in taking a shot at the Green Bay Packers in his introductory press conference as Bears head coach. Per Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Johnson took some time to pander to his new fans by saying “to be quite frank with you, I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year.”
Naturally, those comments made their way to LeFleur and he took the time to address what was said by the Detroit Lions' former offensive coordinator while speaking with the media this past week at the NFL's annual meeting.
Matt LaFleur Responds to Ben Johnson Shot
“I’m sure he’s playing to the fans a little bit,” LeFleur said, per Finley. “I’m not going to lose too much sleep over that.”
When you take into consideration the fact that the Packers have only lost three games to the Bears since 2015, it makes sense that LeFleur would approach the comments made by Johnson this way. Green Bay's record of 11-1 against the Bears under LeFleur's watch speaks for itself and carries far more weight than any statement made during an introductory press conference.
We'll find out soon enough whether Johnson is able to talk the talk and walk the walk with the Bears, as Chicago and Green Bay will face off twice this season, as they traditionally do. While we won't know when those games will take place until the Packers' schedule is released in May, it seems safe to say that these comments will resurface during the week leading up to their first matchup of the 2025 campaign.