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In his introductory press conference back in January, new Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson took a shot at the Green Bay Packers and their head coach Matt LaFleur, getting him praise from the Chicago Bears fanbase immediately.
The comment heard around Chicago from Johnson was that he enjoyed beating LaFleur and the rival Packers twice a year while he was the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. And the implication was that he's looking forward to doing the same thing as head coach of the Bears.
Chicago's rivalry with Green Bay was picked back up in the end of the 2024 season, as the Bears got their first win (a 24-22 victory) over the Packers since 2018, The organization's momentum towards their bitter rival carried over with Johnson's comments, which LaFleur responded to at the NFL Scouting Combine saying he believed the new Bears coach was just playing up to the fans.
The conversation between both sides doesn't seem to have come to an end just yet, as LaFleur was once again asked about Johnson's comments from January. Appearing on the "Bussin' With The Boys" podcast, LaFleur didn't take the bait when asked if he has any beef with Johnson, but it certainly seems like the rivalry has kicked up a notch.
"I don't know Ben Johnson," LaFleur said. "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."
LaFleur seemed to try and distance himself from any question about a beef with Johnson, and the intrigue to the Bears-Packers rivalry will continue to grow coming into the 2025 season. There will be multiple rivalries for the Bears this upcoming year, as members of the Detroit Lions team have expressed a peaked interest in facing Chicago now that their former head coach departed to run a team in the division.
Between Detroit and Green Bay, Ben Johnson will have his hands full answering the matchups, as well as defeating two of the teams that have had plenty of success over the Bears in recent history.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Does Packers HC Matt LaFleur have beef with Bears HC Ben Johnson?
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The comment heard around Chicago from Johnson was that he enjoyed beating LaFleur and the rival Packers twice a year while he was the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. And the implication was that he's looking forward to doing the same thing as head coach of the Bears.
Chicago's rivalry with Green Bay was picked back up in the end of the 2024 season, as the Bears got their first win (a 24-22 victory) over the Packers since 2018, The organization's momentum towards their bitter rival carried over with Johnson's comments, which LaFleur responded to at the NFL Scouting Combine saying he believed the new Bears coach was just playing up to the fans.
The conversation between both sides doesn't seem to have come to an end just yet, as LaFleur was once again asked about Johnson's comments from January. Appearing on the "Bussin' With The Boys" podcast, LaFleur didn't take the bait when asked if he has any beef with Johnson, but it certainly seems like the rivalry has kicked up a notch.
"I don't know Ben Johnson," LaFleur said. "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."
LaFleur seemed to try and distance himself from any question about a beef with Johnson, and the intrigue to the Bears-Packers rivalry will continue to grow coming into the 2025 season. There will be multiple rivalries for the Bears this upcoming year, as members of the Detroit Lions team have expressed a peaked interest in facing Chicago now that their former head coach departed to run a team in the division.
Between Detroit and Green Bay, Ben Johnson will have his hands full answering the matchups, as well as defeating two of the teams that have had plenty of success over the Bears in recent history.
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Does Packers HC Matt LaFleur have beef with Bears HC Ben Johnson?
Continue reading...
