New Bears Coach Ben Johnson Takes Shot at Packers’ Matt LaFleur

Ben Johnson endeared himself to Chicago Bears fans within the first minutes of his introduction as the team’s new head coach, firing a shot at rival coach Matt LaFleur and his Green Bay Packers in his first comments since taking the job.

Johnson spoke with energy and charisma on Wednesday in front of a packed crowd at Halas Hall, thanking Chicago’s hiring committee for placing their trust in him as head coach while also outlining his plans for rebuilding the Bears into a regular contender.

Johnson also explained that he wanted to remain in the NFC North because it is the “toughest division in football right now.” But while Johnson lauded the North’s coaches and players, LaFleur caught a stray from him about their previous divisional battles.

“To be quite frank with you, I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year,” Johnson said with a smile on Wednesday.

LaFleur and Johnson faced each other in six games during Johnson’s three-year run as the Lions offensive coordinator. In those six matchups, Johnson and the Lions went 5-1 with LaFleur’s Packers prevailing just once in 2023 after scoring 20 first-quarter points.

While the proof will be in the pudding, the Bears would certainly appreciate Johnson all the more if he can make the Bears-Packers rivalry more competitive in the years ahead.

Bears Have Ugly Recent Track Record Against Packers

Johnson is breaking from the previous demeanor of Bears head coaches in the sense that he isn’t afraid to stir the pot in the division and call out his rivals, like LaFleur. He will have his work cut out for him trying to even the series with the Packers, though.

The Packers hold the edge in the all-time series against the Bears, 108-96-6, and the record only looks worse for Chicago when looking solely at matchups with LaFleur.

LaFleur has won 11 of his 12 games against the Bears since taking over as the Packers head coach before the 2019 season. He also won the division in three of six seasons at the helm, while the Bears have finished in third or last place in five of those six years.

That said, the Bears did finally achieve their first win over LaFleur’s Packers with a 24-22 win at Lambeau Field in their 2024 regular-season finale. The Packers had already qualified for the playoffs and lost quarterback Jordan Love in the first half, but it still provided a necessary positive jolt for the Bears after an ugly and tumultuous campaign.

Things will look much different for the Bears when they begin the 2025 season under Johnson, but he can help them maintain their momentum from their Week 18 win.

Caleb Williams Motivated Ben Johnson to Join Bears

A big reason why many fans wanted the Bears to hire Johnson as their next head coach is his reputation as an aggressive and creative offensive play-caller in the NFL. Chicago has an enticing quarterback talent in No. 1 pick Caleb Williams and fans eagerly wanted a coach who could invest in molding Williams into an elite NFL starting quarterback.

Unsurprisingly, the feeling was mutual for Johnson. He confirmed that Williams played “a large component” in his decision to sign a deal with the Bear over other suitors, such as the Las Vegas Raiders or Jacksonville Jaguars — who each wanted to hire Johnson.

“There’s no doubt that Caleb played a large component in my decision,” Johnson said. “He is a phenomenal talent that had, as many quarterbacks do, an up-and-down rookie year. Where I see my role is as a supporter of him.”

Johnson also acknowledged the other impressive offensive talents on the Bears’ roster. Some of them — including wide receivers DJ Moore and Rome Odunze and tight end Cole Kmet — attended Johnson’s introductory press conference. In full transparency, though, he admitted his Bears offense will be centered around Williams’ unique skills.

“This offense will be calibrated with [Williams] in mind,” Johnson continued. “This is not simply a dropping of a previous playbook down on the table and starting there. Nope, we’re ripping this thing down to the studs and we’re going to build it out with him, first and foremost, and then the pieces around him next.”