The Chicago Bears’ community seems to be preoccupied with the Green Bay Packers. When Ben Johnson took the helm as the new head coach, he made it a point to mention the Packers. At that moment, he highlighted the victories he achieved over Matt LaFleur during his stint as the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions.

“To be completely honest,” Johnson remarked in January, “I kind of relished beating Matt LaFleur twice each year.” In response, LaFleur took a composed approach when addressed about the matter on Tuesday at the NFL League Meetings, illustrating that he isn’t overly concerned with the Bears head coach’s remarks. “I’m sure he’s appealing to their supporters a bit,” LaFleur commented. “It is what it is. I won’t lose much sleep over it.”

Johnson spent six years with the Lions, initially in a subordinate role and eventually as offensive coordinator. During his tenure, their record against the Packers was evenly split at 6-6. However, the Lions did manage to sweep the Packers twice in the last three seasons, including the previous year.

As for the Bears, LaFleur claimed victory in his first 11 encounters as the Packers’ head coach in the rivalry. The first defeat came in the most recent matchup, a Week 18 game last season—where Jordan Love exited early due to an injury, leaving backup Malik Willis to play the majority of the game.

The peculiar aspect is that Matt LaFleur and Ben Johnson aren’t particularly close. Johnson’s remarks might have been understandable if it were friendly banter—LaFleur shares closer ties with others like Mike McDaniel, Sean McVay, and Kyle Shanahan.

In this scenario, Johnson was clearly aiming to energize Bears fans and stir up controversy, aware of the long-standing rivalry with the Packers being a significant topic in Chicago for many years. Ultimately, this might give LaFleur an added incentive to face the Bears twice in 2025, even if he doesn’t openly acknowledge it.