Ben Johnson-Matt LaFleur Beef Explained: Inside the Tension Between the Packers and Bears’ HCs
On Saturday night, the Green Bay Packers will face off against the Chicago Bears in the Wild Card round. The teams have a history of great head coaches, ranging from Vince Lombardi in Green Bay and George “Papa Bear” Halas in Chicago.
While this rivalry is steeped in rich history, neither of the teams’ current head coaches, Matt LaFleur and Ben Johnson, sees eye-to-eye.
What’s Behind The Matt LaFleur-Ben Johnson Beef?
There is simply no love lost between Johnson and LaFleur. The former is in his first year as Bears head coach, having previously served as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator under head coach Dan Campbell.
Johnson, at his introductory press conference in January 2025, took a slight dig at LaFleur, as he had previously gone up against the Packers’ coach when he was with the Lions, according to a Fox Sports story.
“I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for the coaches and the players in this [NFC North division],” Johnson said at the time. “I’ve been competing against them for the last six years. And to be quite frank with you, I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year.”
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LaFleur wasn’t happy with Johnson’s comments. “There is no history at all,” said the Packers HC about his relationship with Johnson, according to Fox Sports NFL Insider Jay Glazer.
“In fact, when I called Matt LaFleur, I told him, ‘I didn’t know you guys were tight.’ He goes, ‘We’re not! I don’t know, I’m shocked over this,” Glazer added about his report on LaFleur’s reaction to Johnson’s comments.
When LaFleur was asked about the situation when he was a guest on the “Bussin’ with the Boys” podcast, he flatly said, “I don’t know Ben Johnson.”
It appears that LaFleur and the Packers coaching staff took issue with Johnson’s remarks. Now, the tension carries into Saturday night, with a trip to the Divisional Round on the line as the Packers face the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in what is expected to be a cold and windy matchup.
The longtime rivals split their regular-season series at one win apiece. Green Bay claimed a 28-21 victory in Week 14, while Chicago responded with a dramatic 22-16 overtime win in Week 16.
Packers vs. Bears Wild Card Round Preview
The Packers have won 13 of their last 15 games in Chicago. In Week 16, the Packers had a 10-point lead at the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter. The Bears tied the game and went on to win in overtime.
Matt LaFleur is 3-5 career in the postseason. Green Bay has scored at least 28 points in the three wins and 21 or fewer in four of the five losses.
Chicago is 7-4 in one-score games this season after being 3-7 in those games last season. The Bears are seeking their first playoff win since the 2010 season. They have had two playoff appearances since 2010.
Caleb Williams had two C QBi grades against the Packers this season. Last season, he recorded the second-best score of his rookie season against the Packers. Williams moved from a D+ in 2024 to a C this year.
