The most storied rivalry in football is generating some good stories.<\/p>\n
After the Bears beat the Packers in the playoffs (it was only the third postseason meeting between the franchises), Chicago coach Ben Johnson declared in the locker room, \u201cFuck the Packers!<\/a> Fuck them!\u201d Addressing his reaction later, Johnson\u2019s explanation was simple, \u201cI don\u2019t like that team<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n In a visit this week with PFT Live, Johnson was asked to elaborate.<\/p>\n \u201cWho likes the Packers?\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n The next question focused on whether Johnson is simply leaning into his job as head coach of the Bears, or whether he truly doesn\u2019t like the Packers.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Bears and the Packers, they should not like each other,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cI think it\u2019s as simple as that. And I think that\u2019s gonna make this rivalry, this game, something that people are going to watch here going forward.\u201d <\/p>\n He\u2019s right about that. Even though the NFL tends to market itself, a WWE-style effort to stir things up a bit only makes an upcoming game more compelling. Case in point: Every network and streamer will be jockeying with 345 Park Avenue to televise one of the two games between Chicago and Green Bay during the 2026 season.<\/p>\n But there\u2019s another side to it. Johnson has made Packers coach Matt LaFleur a periodic pin cushion, starting with Johnson\u2019s introductory press conference<\/a> more than a year ago. Within the high-turnover coaching industry, where relationships among coaches with other teams fuel future employment prospects, open hostility from one head coach to another is rare.<\/p>\n Johnson was asked whether he has talked to LaFleur, who seems to be confused by all of it.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t talk,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n Does he want it that way?<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m good with it.\u201d<\/p>\n Has he tried to reach out?<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n