Ben Johnson seems like a confident guy and he's already throwing his weight around in the NFC North.
Johnson was introduced as the new head coach of the Chicago Bears on Wednesday and immediately took a shot at the team's rivals to the north.
The 38-year-old former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator discussed staying in the NFC North, then took aim at the Green Bay Packers and their head coach Matt LaFleur.
"I wanted to stay in this division. It's the toughest division in football right now," Johnson said. He added, "I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice this year."
“To be quite frank with you, I kinda enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year.”
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) January 22, 2025
BEN JOHNSON COMIN’ IN HOT pic.twitter.com/vBxiEriFRk
That's a first-time head coach coming in hot by giving bulletin board material to his team's primary rival. With Johnson running their offense, the Lions beat the Packers 24–14 on Nov. 3 and 34–31 in on Dec. 5.
Detroit had a prolific offense under Johnson in 2024. The Lions finished second in the NFL in total offense, averaging 409.5 yards per game, and scored a league-high 70 touchdowns. They were second in passing offense (263.2 yards per game) and sixth in rushing offense (146.4 yards per game). The Bears hope he can import that kind of success while developing franchise quarterback Caleb Williams.
No matter what happens, Chicago's rivalry with Green Bay just got a bit spicier.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ben Johnson Takes Shot at Packers During First Presser With Bears.
