David Montgomery hilariously hit back at Ben Johnson after the OC accepted a job with the Chicago Bears (Image: Getty Images)

David Montgomery shows true colors with reaction to Ben Johnson’s move to Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery did little to hide his frustration after offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was introduced as the Chicago Bears’ newest head coach

Ben Johnson’s departure from Detroit hardly came as a surprise – but the Lions offensive coordinator’s landing spot promptly drew the ire of running back David Montgomery.

On Tuesday, Johnson was introduced as the Chicago Bears’ newest coach – bringing an official end to the sweepstakes for the most sought-after candidate in this year’s coaching carousel. Over the last three years, the 38-year-old fielded a top-5 offense in the league – with the Lions most recently recording the most points during the 2024-25 regular season (564).

“Listen, thank you so much. My family and I, we are beyond excited,” Johnson began. “This is exactly where we wanted to be. It’s exactly where we wanted to be.”

News of Johnson’s decision to coach the Bears didn’t sit well with Montgomery, who spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with Chicago. Taking to social media, the 27-year-old shared a photoshopped image of himself staring judgingly at the now-former play-caller’s headshot.

Since inking a three-year, $18M contract with the Lions in March of 2023, Montgomery has openly voiced his displeasure with the Bears and their losing ways. During his tenure with the franchise, Chicago posted a meager 25-42 record.

“That’s all I was used to,” Montgomery said not long after putting pen to paper on his new deal. “And it got to a point where it sucked the fun out of the game for me because I’m a competitor. I like to compete. That’s what football’s about. It’s so refreshing to be in a place where that’s appreciated.”

Ben Johnson was introduced as the Chicago Bears’ newest head coach on Tuesday ( Image: Getty Images)

Speaking to reporters during his introductory press conference, Johnson expressed confidence that he and his staff will be able to instill a winning culture in Chicago. “It’s nothing more important than that locker room and us serving that locker room and those players. Alright. They need to understand that,” he said.

“They need to feel that from us every single day. And if we do that, the wins are going to come. The playoffs are going to come.”

Johnson acknowledged that accomplishing this lofty goal wouldn’t be easy – especially while playing in the loaded NFC North, which featured three playoff teams that each boasted 11 or more wins. It’s worth noting, however, that the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, and Lions failed to record a single win in the postseason.

“This is going to be a challenge. I’m well aware of that. I know what this division’s about, and this is exactly where we want to be,” he added. “We’re going to go after this thing, and it’s going to take all of us in this room. It’s going to take this locker room.”

Before officially joining the Bears, Johnson additionally conducted interviews with the New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders.