why does ben johnson hate packers

Ben Johnson does not literally “hate” the Packers in a personal sense so far as public reporting shows, but he has leaned hard into the Bears–Packers rivalry and has made the Packers, and especially Matt LaFleur, a clear competitive target in his messaging.

What actually happened

• After the Bears’ wild‑card comeback win over Green Bay in January 2026, Johnson’s locker‑room speech included a shouted “F‑‑‑ the Packers,” which the team itself posted on social media.

• Cameras also picked up a very brief, frosty postgame handshake with Packers coach Matt LaFleur, which fed the narrative that there is bad blood between them.

Why fans say he “hates” the Packers

• When Johnson took the Bears job, he joked that he “kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year” from his time as Lions offensive coordinator, which Packers people and fans viewed as disrespectful bulletin‑board material.

• Local and fan media have run with that quote and the postgame outburst, framing it as Johnson “hating” the Packers and embracing Chicago’s side of the rivalry, which is where the meme‑style question “why does Ben Johnson hate the Packers?” comes from.

Football reasons behind the attitude

• The Bears–Packers rivalry is the NFL’s longest‑running and has historically favored Green Bay, so showing open edge and animosity plays well in Chicago’s locker room and fan base as a culture reset.

• Johnson and his players also said there was “noise” and trash talk coming out of Green Bay during the week, and he framed his outburst as a response and motivator for his own team.

Is it personal or just rivalry?

• Reports note a so‑called “beef” with LaFleur, but insiders have also said there is no real personal history; LaFleur himself has joked that he doesn’t really know Johnson “like that,” suggesting the tension is mostly public, competitive posturing.

• In other words, Johnson is using strong language and pointed comments as part of a rivalry mindset and motivational strategy, not as evidence of a documented personal hatred beyond the normal NFL coaching edge.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.