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Matt LaFleur’s No-Look Handshake With Ben Johnson Didn’t Go Unnoticed

Ryan Phillips

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has a quick handshake with Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson after a 28-21 Packers victory.
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has a quick handshake with Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson after a 28-21 Packers victory. / Via Fox
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Matt LaFleur and the Packers beat Ben Johnson and the Bears on Sunday in an extremely important NFC North battle. After Green Bay secured a tight 28-21 victory, the team’s coach didn’t stop with Chicago’s head man to have a chat at midfield.

As LaFleur and Johnson crossed paths to end the game, the Packers’ coach offered his hand, shook his counterpart’s, then blew right past him on the way off the field. Given the history between the two, it wasn’t surprising.

Video of the handshake is below.

During Johnson’s introductory press conference as Chicago’s head coach in January, the former Lions offensive coordinator took a shot at LaFleur and the Packers. He said, “To be quite frank with you, I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year.”

After the game, LaFleur was asked about the exchange at midfield and said, “It was a quick handshake, and we’ll see them again in two weeks.”

LaFleur was then asked if it had anything to do with Johnson’s comments from January, and denied it. “Absolutely not. It’s Packers-Bears,” he said.

While LaFleur is being diplomatic about the handshake, I’m not sure many people will believe him. That’s where almost everyone’s mind instantly went to while watching that interaction.

Packers have inside track to NFC North title

Green Bay’s win over Chicago moved its record to 9-3-1, while the Bears fell to 9-4. The Packers now control their own destiny in the NFC North.

LaFleur’s squad has won four in a row and seven of nine, but the next few weeks won’t be easy. Green Bay travels to Denver on Sunday to face the Broncos, then goes to Chicago on December 20 for a Saturday night game against the Bears. The Packers will host the Ravens in Week 17, before closing out the season on the road against the Vikings.

Given how tight the game against the Bears was on Sunday, and the handshake after, all eyes will be on the rematch in Chicago.

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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.

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