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Former Packers Coach Jeff Hafley Throws Shade at Bears' Ben Johnson

Despite joining the Miami Dolphins this offseason, there appears to be no love lost between Jeff Hafley and Ben Johnson.
Pete Martuneac|
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The handshake heard around the world occurred moments after the Chicago Bears' triumphant Wild Card victory over the Green Bay Packers in January. Bears head coach Ben Johnson, eager to celebrate with his players on the field, hardly slowed in his sprinting to clasp Packers head coach Matt LaFleur's hand for a moment, and an unfortunate camera angle seemed to show Johnson yelling in LaFleur's face.

To be fair, Ben Johnson did play up the rivalry angle after that game, and even the usually reserved team chairman George McCaskey backed up Ben Johnson's rant against the Packers, insisting that reigniting this ancient rivalry is good for football. But when you watch the video of the incident, it's clear that Johnson was not, in fact, yelling in LaFleur's face. He may enjoy his trash talk, but I don't believe he meant any genuine disrespect to LaFleur in that moment.

No one will forget Ben Johnson's handshake anytime soon

Regardless of Johnson's intent, Packers fans were mighty upset about the optics of this interaction, and the coaches might not have taken too kindly to it, either. Jeff Hafley, who served as the defensive coordinator of the Packers for the last two seasons, is now the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, which meant he is now part of the annual NFL league meetings. At this year's event, he spoke with NFL analyst Kay Adams on her Up & Adams podcast, and he said something that seems to have been a shot across the bow at Ben Johnson.

When asked about the Dolphins' upcoming game against the Packers at Lambeau Field in 2026, Hafley insisted that there would be no bad blood between himself and his former boss. He's going to try to win, of course, but it's nothing personal. Then Hafley said, "I'll shake his hand after the game, it's not going to be one of those [things]."

While he didn't directly call out Ben Johnson in his answer, it's not hard to read between the lines here and see a thinly veiled jab at his former rival. The postgame handshake is a standard part of NFL games, and likely no one imagined that Hafley would skip the handshake with LaFleur. That makes the fact that he brought up the subject of a handshake unprompted seem purposeful.

The Bottom Line

Any way you slice it, Johnson's viral handshake moment shook up the discourse around the NFL and will almost certainly be played on a loop in the week leading up to the first Bears-Packers game next season. Packers fans may have felt insulted in that moment, but they should appreciate what Johnson has done for this rivalry. For too long, it was a one-sided beatdown in favor of Green Bay, and the mystique of the NFL's oldest, proudest rivalry nearly died.

That's all changed. Since the arrival of Caleb Williams in Chicago, the Bears are 3-2 against the Packers, and Ben Johnson's public hatred of the Packers as an organization has turned the intensity up to 11. Even Packers safety Javon Bullard has helped reignite the Bears-Packers rivalry, directly calling the Bears out in a recent interview.

Hafley may not have appreciated Johnson's gesture after that Wild Card game, but he should appreciate what it did for the NFL. Football is just better when the Bears and Packers hate each other as they do now.

Ben Johnso
Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

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