Ben Johnson’s introductory press conference as the Chicago Bears’ new head coach included a dig at Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. Johnson, after praising Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and Lions head coach Dan Campbell during the presser, said that he “kind of enjoyed” beating LaFleur and the Packers twice a year during his time as the Lions’ offensive coordinator.
LaFleur, whose team went 1-5 against the Lions during Johnson’s three seasons as Detroit’s offensive coordinator (including season sweeps at the hands of Detroit in 2022 and in 2024), was asked about Johnson’s comments during the NFL annual league meeting.
“I’m sure he’s playing to the fans a little bit,” LaFleur said, via The Athletic. “It is what it is. I’m not going to lose too much sleep over that.”
While he might be telling the truth, LaFleur surely didn’t love Johnson’s comments and is probably keeping receipts. It’s safe to say that those comments will resurface when the two teams face off for the first time in 2025.
While he has struggled to beat Detroit in recent years, LaFleur and the Packers have had no such issues against Johnson’s new team. Green Bay is 11-1 against Chicago since LaFleur took over as the Packers’ head coach in 2019. The Bears did manage to snap their 11-game losing streak against the Packers last season after recording a 24-22 win over Green Bay in Week 18.
The NFL’s most competitive division, the NFC North should be even better with Johnson’s arrival in Chicago. The Bears have been aggressive in free agency, signing six players who are slated to be starters this season that include three expected new starters on the offensive line. Chicago has seven picks in this year’s NFL Draft that includes the 10th overall pick and two second-round picks.
While the Bears are hoping to make waves this year, the Packers are vying to join the NFC’s upper echelon in 2025 after they saw their 2024 season end in Philadelphia in the wild-card round. A healthy Jordan Love (who battled through injuries for virtually the entire 2024 season) will go a long way in the Packers’ quest to win their first division title since 2021.
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