why doesn't ben johnson like matt lafleur
Ben Johnson doesn’t seem to personally like Matt LaFleur because of a mix of rivalry-fueled comments, public jabs, and some very visible awkward moments between them, especially since Johnson became Bears head coach. The exact “origin story” of the tension hasn’t been fully explained publicly, but their relationship is widely described as chilly rather than friendly.
Roots of the “beef”
Several factors are consistently pointed to when people ask why doesn’t Ben Johnson like Matt LaFleur :
- When Johnson was introduced as Chicago Bears head coach in early 2025, he said he “kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year” from his Lions days, a line that came off as a deliberate shot at LaFleur and the Packers.
- Reports and insider commentary have said they are “not pals,” have no real shared history, and don’t have the usual collegial friendship a lot of NFL coaches develop, which makes the comments feel more personal than playful.
- LaFleur was said to be “shocked” or bothered by Johnson’s public jab, which added a personal edge to what was already a heated Bears‑Packers rivalry.
Icy moments and on‑field tension
The tension hasn’t just been in quotes; people keep pointing to specific awkward interactions :
- After multiple Bears–Packers games, cameras caught very short, stiff handshakes between Johnson and LaFleur, including one described as an “icy” 1.3‑second handshake where LaFleur looked stone‑faced and Johnson basically ran past him.
- In a wild‑card playoff game where Johnson’s Bears knocked out LaFleur’s Packers, the chaotic postgame scene included a brief, tense interaction that social media immediately framed as more proof of a personal beef.
What Johnson seems to be doing
From the outside, Johnson’s stance looks like a mix of genuine edge and rivalry theater:
- His comments about enjoying beating LaFleur have been widely interpreted as him intentionally stoking the historic Bears‑Packers rivalry and sending a message to Chicago fans: that he embraces hating Green Bay in a very old‑school NFC North way.
- At the same time, the fact that there’s no real friendship or prior bond between them makes the remarks feel less like friendly trash talk and more like targeted disrespect, which is why Packers media and fans have pushed back hard.
How LaFleur has responded
Publicly, LaFleur has tried to keep things semi‑professional, but he’s clearly not thrilled:
- He has said he doesn’t really know Johnson and has questioned why Johnson felt the need to single him out, hinting that he took the comment personally even while saying the rivalry being juiced up makes things more entertaining.
- Packers coaches and media voices have framed Johnson’s words as disrespectful “bulletin‑board material,” suggesting Green Bay’s staff views it as a personal slight and extra motivation whenever they face Chicago.
What’s confirmed vs speculation
There is no clear, documented incident like a past workplace clash or behind‑the‑scenes betrayal that explains exactly why Ben Johnson doesn’t like Matt LaFleur. What is clear is:
- Johnson publicly took a shot at LaFleur in his Bears intro presser.
- They have no real prior relationship and are widely described as not being friends.
- Their handshakes and body language in games have looked noticeably cold.
Everything beyond that—like whether Johnson personally dislikes LaFleur as a person, or is just leaning hard into rivalry branding—is speculation. The safest read is that Johnson is using LaFleur as a convenient rival target to hype the Bears‑Packers feud, and that LaFleur doesn’t appreciate being that target.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.