The third Ben Johnson/Matt LaFleur handshake went just about how you'd expect

There is certainly no love lost between the Packers' and Bears' head coaches.

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

Ben Johnson said that he enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year in his Introductory Press Conference. For the first three quarters of tonight's game, with the Bears having (only) one win against the Packers this year, it looked like that quote was surely going to come back to bite him.

New #Bears HC Ben Johnson: “To be quite frank with you, I kinda enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year.” 🍿pic.twitter.com/qfny13ZCWT

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 22, 2025

They were down 21-6 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, and virtually all hope looked lost. They were flat, uninspiring, and looked destined for an early playoff exit.

Then, just like they've done all season, they stormed back. Against all odds, he achieved his second win against LaFleur in the most miraculous way possible. After being held out of the end zone for the first 50 minutes, they scored three touchdowns in the final 10:08 of the game.

The relationship between Johnson and LaFleur has been well speculated upon. They don't seem to be friends by any means, and the latter reportedly didn't take too kindly to Johnson's diss.

Both handshakes following the first two matchups were well-documented, as LaFleur gave Johnson a drive-by in the first round. Johnson promptly returned the favor with a quick handshake in the second round. Very few words were spoken, as it was clear they had no interest in small talk.

Then the eyes were on the third matchup. This was their chance to finally catch up (I'm aware they don't know each other whatsoever) and maybe, I don't know, talk a little bit. It sure seemed like neither of them was interested in that, though.

In fact, Johnson hit LaFleur with an awfully similar drive-by the one that was laid on him after their Week 14 matchup.

All 3 of Ben Johnson's and Matt LaFleur's hand shakes. pic.twitter.com/nm9zvvNhDc

— ✶Ⓜ️𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕤 ▶️✶ (@_MarcusD3_) January 11, 2026

It's wild to think about the fact that they now have more postgame handshakes than any two coaches across the league this year, and they've also managed to speak the fewest words through all of those opportunities.

Who knows if they'll have another chance to mend those fences? Matt LaFleur's future has been a major topic of conversation in recent weeks, as he is entering the final year of his contract and has a team president who claims to not believe in lame duck coaches.

If that was LaFleur's last game in Green Bay, it's at least a good sign that Johnson was able to hold up his end of the two-win per year bargain.

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