Getty
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur.
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur insists he is taking no “personal satisfaction” from Week 14’s home win over Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears, despite a postgame handshake with his rival coach that turned a few heads.
The Packers claimed a 28-21 victory over the Bears after picking off quarterback Caleb Williams in the end zone in the final minute to ice the Bears’ late comeback attempt. The win not only moved the Packers into first place in the NFC North but also positioned them as the No. 2 seed in the conference for the 2025 NFL playoffs.
More eye-catching in the aftermath was the icy exchange between coaches, though.
LaFleur met Johnson at midfield for the routine handshake in the postgame, but he barely stopped walking and seemed to look right past Johnson as both breezed on. While the exchange caught attention on social media, LaFleur downplayed it later.
“Just a quick handshake,” LaFleur said in December 7’s postgame. “We’ll see them again in two weeks.”
Johnson had notoriously quipped in the offseason that he had “kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year” during his three-season run as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator. He had been intentionally trying to light a spark in the Bears-Packers rivalry that had burned far too frequently in favor of Green Bay in recent seasons.
Even still, LaFleur rejects that this win means more because of Johnson’s comments.
“No, absolutely not,” LaFleur said. “It’s Packers-Bears. It’s a great rivalry. Certainly, with what was at stake in regards to positioning in the NFC North, that’s the only thing that matters.”
Ben Johnson’s Comments Left Matt LaFleur ‘Shocked’
LaFleur has largely downplayed the impact of Johnson’s comments whenever asked about the Bears coach’s swipe at him. The most he ever said about the matter came before the 2025 NFL draft, when he told the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast that he has “no beef” with Johnson — and doesn’t really know him in the first place.
According to Fox Sports insider Jay Glazer, though, LaFleur — who had no previous relationship with Johnson — felt shocked when he heard about his initial comments.
“There is no history at all,” Glazer said during the Fox NFL Sunday pregame show on December 7. “In fact, when it happened, I called Matt LaFleur, and I said, ‘I didn’t know you guys were tight.’ And he goes, ‘We’re not! I don’t know him! I’m shocked over this.’”
Matt LaFleur: “We’re not [tight], I don’t know him! I’m shocked over this!” 😅
@JayGlazer gives us the inside scoop on the rivalry between Ben Johnson and Matt LaFleur ⬇️
Glazer went on to mention what Johnson has already confirmed to be true: that his shot at LaFleur and the Packers was intended to stoke the flames of the rivalry more than it was to incite any personal beef between the two NFC North head coaches. In terms of headlines at least, it seems to have worked — though, not in Johnson’s favor this time.
Will Packers Sweep Ben Johnson’s Bears in Week 16?
The Packers have now avenged their loss to the Bears in last season’s Week 18 matchup at Lambeau Field and moved back into the win column of the series ledger. Can LaFleur and his Packers sweep the Bears for the sixth time in his seven years in 2025, though?
While the Packers prevailed in Week 14, the Bears kept things interesting down to the wire and were one better pass away from tying the game in the final minute. They also did so after Williams, the former No. 1 pick, threw for just 11 passing yards in the first half and their defense allowed a touchdown in the final 74 seconds before halftime that gave the Packers a 14-3 lead with the ball coming back to them to start the second half.
Climbing out of a hole like that takes some good fortune, but it also takes real skill.
The Bears also have a shot at having a healthier roster in place for Week 16’s rematch at Soldier Field. Veteran linebacker Tremaine Edmunds is eligible to return from injured reserve that week and, so long as he does not need extended ramp-up time, could rejoin the lineup and add a more substantial challenge for Jordan Love and the offense.
Chicago also did not have starting slot cornerback Kyler Gordon after he suffered a groin injury during pregame warmups in Week 14, but it is unclear how significant his injury is or whether it will impact his availability for Week 16’s game at Soldier Field.
Regardless, the Packers should aim to play sharper in the rematch against what could be a better and healthier Bears team than the one that took them to the wire this week.
Jordan J. Wilson is a sports reporter who covers the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. He has previously covered all levels of sports — high school, college and pro — for a variety of publications including The Indianapolis Star, The News-Gazette, Springfield State-Journal Register and Peoria Journal Star. More about Jordan J. Wilson
More Heavy on Packers
Loading more stories