Ben Johnson doubles down on Packers hate: ‘This is a rivalry’

The first-year head coach of the Chicago Bears isn’t interested in friendly relations with Green Bay.

Jan 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson stands on the sidelines against the Green Bay Packers during the first half of an NFC Wild Card Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Way back when Love Smith first became the Chicago Bears’ head coach in 2004, he made no bones about his top priority in his new job: beat the Green Bay Packers. 

He knew back that then that the Bears’ hold on the longtime rivalry had slipped significantly in the previous decade, and he knew the Bears couldn’t become the kings of the NFC North until they unseated their neighbors to the north.

A little more than a decade later, Ben Johnson is carrying on that mantra—and making it a reality.

Not only have his Bears defeated the Packers twice in his first season as Bears head coach, including last Sunday’s dramatic playoff win, but Johnson has let them know about it, too. His quick handshake with Matt LaFleur after Sunday’s game went viral, as did his colorful postgame comments regarding Green Bay, prompting tears from Packers fans and cheers from Bears supporters. It also mirrors his own team’s chip on their shoulder (and cheese-graters on their heads) when it comes to Green Bay, which likely comes from him, anyway.

Just know this: Johnson doesn’t care what you think about it.

“This is a rivalry,” he told reporters on Monday when asked about the postgame handshake and the bad blood between the two teams. “The city of Chicago and Green Bay. It needs to be a rivalry.

"I don't like that team," he added, noting that he and owner George McCaskey have talked and are "on the same page" after Johnson's "F- the Packers" quote broke contain.

Look no further than this past Saturday as proof of why that matters.

Johnson knows well how Green Bay has long dominated the NFC North because of its top-tier quarterback play. This year, with Micah Parsons joining the mix and Johnson’s departure from the Lions, he knew the Packers would likely be the team to beat in the division again…unless he made sure the Bears took it personally to beat them. All that big-brother talk from the Packers’ side of things only added fuel to the fire.

The Bears didn’t need to talk about this being a rivalry anymore. They needed to treat it like one. And their two victories this season may well have reignited this feud for the foreseeable future. 

Unfortunately for Green Bay, the Bears might have just stolen the crown going forward. Because as Caleb Williams and company have said already, Chicago’s not going anywhere. And as long as Johnson’s head coach, they’re not going to tire of stomping on the Packers.

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