Bears' Ben Johnson Refuses to Back Down From His Critics

If anyone from the Chicago Bears made more headlines than quarterback Caleb Williams in 2025, it was head coach Ben Johnson. From his famous 'good, better, best' chant after every win to the time his hilarious postgame antic got Bears fans in Chicago free hot dogs, Johnson was in many ways the face of the franchise he was helping reinvigorate.

But Johnson's reputation took a controversial turn when he refused to backtrack from his postgame rant about the Packers after defeating them in a thrilling Wild Card matchup. Shouting an expletives about his biggest rival sent Johnson's popularity among Bears fans to the moon, but it also made him the villain among Packers fans, the rest of the NFC North, and even several fans and analysts around the league.

Not that this bothers Johnson. By all accounts, that's a role he has apparently embraced. If certain people want to make him the villain, Johnson seems to have little else to say except, "Make way for the bad guy." Johnson recently spoke with Bears beat reporter Herb Howard, who asked him if this 'bad guy' perception is a misunderstanding, or if he even cares about it, and Johnson answered, "I didn't come into this league, or take this position, necessarily to make friends."

Ben Johnson: “I didn’t come into this league to make friends”🔥

Changed the culture in one season😈 pic.twitter.com/a9D06Z3mZ7
— SleeperBears (@SleeperBears) April 5, 2026

That's an answer that's either going to make you love him even more than you already did, or find a new level of loathing for him. But what else can Johnson say? He may play things up a little bit when it comes to the Bears-Packers rivalry, but he's still being genuine. And until the Packers start beating him more often than they lose, he has the right to say whatever he wants. He's the reigning NFC North champ, after all.

The Bottom Line

As I've said before, the new life that Ben Johnson's antics has breathed into the Bears-Packers rivalry is great for football. Packers fans are free to hate him (I would), but they should also appreciate the way he's made these games appointment viewing for the entire NFL world. He's even got Packers players and coaches jumping into the fray, with safety Javon Bullard poking the bear in a recent interview and former defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley throwing shade at Ben Johnson.

Some fans and analysts may have expected Johnson to mellow out somewhat after his first season as head coach of the Chicago Bears, but he appears to instead be doubling-down on his agenda. Johnson isn't here to make friends, and he's now on record saying exactly that. He, like his quarterback Caleb Williams, wants to win multiple Super Bowls for the city of Chicago, and he's ready to take the next step towards that goal.

The Bottom Line

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