‘It’s going to be fun, man:’ A dynamic duo at safety gives the Packers more than just a strong last line of defense — and even Ben Johnson agrees

GREEN BAY — Given his hate — his word, not ours — for the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who wants to give his newfound archrivals anything even remotely resembling a compliment.

But believe it or not, Johnson did just that last season when talking about the Packers’ safety tandem of two-time All-Pro Xavier McKinney and rising star Evan Williams.

“I don’t know if there’s a better safety tandem right now [in the league],” Johnson told Chicago-area reporters in the days leading up to the Bears’ playoff win over the Packers in January. “These two guys, you just have to account for them. I think the safety position in general is one that it’s rare you go into a game feeling like there’s an impact player, and yet this particular week, these two guys are.

“They’re all over the field. I think they’re highly instinctive. They do a great job when the ball is in the air making plays. I know McKinney had all those interceptions (eight) last year. He did a great job with that.

“And then, I think it’s been pretty cool to see Evan Williams just grow over the course of his career to where he’s an impact player for them now.”

Pretty high praise from the guy who gave Packers head coach Matt LaFleur a handshake blow-by, right?

McKinney heads into the third year of the four-year, $67 million free-agent deal he signed after leaving the New York Giants, and he’s been the definition of money well spent. He was a first-team All-Pro in his first season in Green Bay and a second-team All-Pro last year, despite his interception total falling from eight to two.

Williams, meanwhile, has outkicked any expectations the Packers could have had for a fourth-round pick. He’s started 23 of a possible 31 games (including playoffs), made the NFL’s All-Rookie team in 2024 and was even better last season, when he had 89 tackles (47 solo), four tackles for loss, a team-high three interceptions, a fumble recovery, five pass break-ups and three QB pressures.

Now, with the Packers coming off a disappointing 14 total takeaways last season — down from 31 the previous year — and a new defensive coordinator in Jonathan Gannon, they’re counting on Williams and McKinney to lead the charge on a turnover-forcing resurgence.

“I’m with X, we’re trying to set a record every year [for takeaways],” Williams said. “And it just starts with being tenacious in practice, setting those habits early, and then come the season hopefully they spill over into the games.”

Asked how his chemistry with Williams has evolved, McKinney replied, “I think it’s grown a lot, and I think you’re going to see it at its peak performance, especially this year.

“Because we’ve been able to play with each other for a couple years, he knows how I work, I know how he works, and we have kind of those tendencies with each other that we know. ‘OK, he wants to do this, I want to do this,’ and we kind of work off of that. So, it’s going to be fun, man. We’ve had a relationship ever since he got here, and it’s done nothing but just grow.

“I think we’re at a point where he’s older, obviously I’m an older guy now at this point, and you’re going to see it really take the next step.”

About our “Most Important Packers of 2026” Series:  When the Packers kick off their eighth training camp under head coach Matt LaFleur on July 29, they’ll do so with a host of players facing pivotal seasons. LaFleur clearly believes he has ample talent to be a Super Bowl contender — and felt that way about last year’s team until an avalanche of injuries to key players ultimately took its toll — but turning that belief into reality will require a host of players to elevate their games (and stay healthy).

This series, which began in 2010 on ESPNWisconsin.com, examines each of those players and how the team’s success hinges on their contributions. It factors in not only their individual importance but also the innate importance of the position and the depth the team has — or lacks — at the position they play. The list is compiled with input from team observers, former players and NFL sources.

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