Rivalries are part of what makes sports great. Fan bases develop a hatred for another opponent that they see often and it makes the games against them mean that much more.
The NFC North has several rivalries, but the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers have been at the forefront of the 2025 NFL season. Chicago head coach Ben Johnson is in his first season with the Bears, but came over from the Detroit Lions after spending six seasons with the franchise. While he may not have liked Chicago during his Detroit tenure, it is clear that he has a disdain for Green Bay.
Both of the handshakes between Johnson and Green Bay's Matt LaFleur went viral during the regular season. Normally, coaches will pat the other on the back or may even exchange some encouraging words. Johnson and LaFleur barely touched hands and moved on. After the Bears beat the Packers, Johnson began celebrating on his way to the handshake and then his high emotions carried him to an impassioned speech for his squad, moving on to the divisional round.
Here is more about what Johnson said to the Bears after they beat the Packers in the wild-card round.
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Ben Johnson postgame speech
Johnson has become known for giving viral postgame speeches. He usually comes up with a great way to congratulate his team when they win and connects with them in celebration. After Chicago beat Green Bay in the Wild Card Round to knock them out of the playoffs, Johnson was on one in the locker room.
He gave an impassioned, expletive-filled speech to his team where he said, "F— the Packers! F— them! I f—ing hate those guys."
Ben Johnson went OFF after beating Matt LaFleur and the Packers
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 11, 2026
“F—k the Packers! F—k them! I f—king hate those guys!” 👀🔥
(via @ChicagoBears)pic.twitter.com/XIfgf96TvM
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Why does Ben Johnson hate the Packers?
Before becoming the head coach in Chicago, Johnson was with the Detroit Lions. He joined the organization in 2019 as an offensive quality control coach and eventually became the offensive coordinator in 2022.
Johnson faced the Packers twice a season and seems fully immersed in the rivalry. He even mentioned in his opening press conference as Chicago's head coach that he "kinda enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year." With Detroit, he may not have liked Chicago, but it definitely seems he grew to dislike Green Bay and LaFleur.
MORE: Explaining the feud between Ben Johnson and Matt LaFleur
Ben Johnson-Matt LaFleur handshake
In Johnson's first year as the Bears' head coach, he has played the Packers three times. Green Bay and Chicago are both in the NFC North, so they are guaranteed to play twice a season. This year, the Bears and Packers split the regular season games, and the rubber match ended up being the most important.
During the regular season, the two rivals shook hands quickly, without exchanging any words. Johnson, picking up the biggest win, had an overly excited look on his face when shaking LaFleur's hand.
Ben Johnson's face during his postgame handshake with Matt LaFleur is PRICELESS 😭 pic.twitter.com/Q6n5SxEvOq
— DraftKings (@DraftKings) January 11, 2026
This only adds to the rivalry between the teams and the coaches.