Bears coach Ben Johnson just went shirtless — now fans are cheering for ‘free wieners'

Maggie Ekberg

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Bears coach Ben Johnson just went shirtless — now fans are cheering for ‘free wieners' image

David Banks-Imagn Images

If you ever wondered what it would take for the city of Chicago to unite behind something other than deep-dish pizza, apparently the answer is: a shirtless head coach.

After the Bears beat the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles 24–15 on Black Friday, first-year head coach Ben Johnson capped the win by ripping off his shirt in the locker room and flexing like he was auditioning for WrestleMania. 

For some, the 39-year-old going full Hulk looked completely unhinged. But for fans who’ve been following the lore all season, it actually made perfect sense. Back in October, legendary Chicago hot-dog stand The Wieners Circle asked fans to vote on what should trigger a citywide free–hot-dog giveaway. The winning choice? Johnson taking his shirt off after a Bears win.

So when Chicago improved to 9–3 on Friday and Johnson delivered mid-chant, he didn’t just hype up his players. He set off a full-on free-food frenzy. Within minutes, The Wieners Circle announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Chicago would be getting its promised free hot dogs on Tuesday. 

Shortly after the shirtless locker-room clip started making the rounds, the internet wasted no time reacting. 

“WOOOO!!!! FREE WIENERS!!! I LOVE THIS COACH. I LOVE THIS TEAM,” one person wrote.

“He’s seriously ripped!😂 Our head coach, Ben Johnson, is awesome.👏🏻👏🏻 🐻⬇️,” another said. 

“I can’t stop watching this 😍 Chicagoooooooo!!!!!” Chimed in a third. 

“We have a goddam psycho as a head coach and I mean that with more love than you can imagine. Bear. F$&cking. Down!” Someone else added.

Chicago now turns its attention to Week 14, where the Bears head to Lambeau Field to face the Packers on Sunday, December 7. A win there would push Johnson’s team even deeper into their first winning season since 2018.

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Staff Writer