LAKE FOREST, Ill. (104.3 The Score) – Bears head coach Ben Johnson has the attention of his team's rival due north in Green Bay.
It started on January 22, 2025, when Johnson took an unexpected jab at the Packers and their head coach.
“To be quite frank with you, I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year," Johnson said during the opening remarks of his introduction as the Bears' new head coach.
Those comments bothered LaFleur, those familiar with his thinking have said. After all, he and Johnson had no prior working relationship or any common connection. The longstanding rivalry then reached a new level of animosity last January after the Bears rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat the Packers, 31-27, in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
"F--- the Packers,” Johnson yelled to his team in the Bears' victorious locker room.
In the aftermath, Johnson had little interest in revisiting that boisterous remark. He has been especially tight-lipped this week.
As the Bears (3-1) prepare to meet the Packers (2-2) for the first time this season Sunday at Lambeau Field, the rivalry it tilted in Chicago’s favor.
Since the Bears defeated the Packers in the playoffs, the teams have continued to shift in different directions. Chicago looks like a legitimate Super Bowl contender, while Green Bay has struggled in an uneven start.
While the eighth-year head coach LaFleur fights for his job, Johnson has the Bears focused on an apparent knockout punch, judging from his players’ words.
"We're ready to get down there Sunday and come back home with a dub," Bears receiver Luther Burden III said earlier this week.
"We just want to beat them really bad and make them quit."
The Packers heard that loud and clear, and the hatred in the rivalry continues to grow.
When Johnson first stirred the pot upon his hiring, those were simply words. Since then, the Bears have turned it into action by beating the Packers in two of their three matchups last season.
The Johnson-led Bears have great bravado. They’re willing to puff their chests at an opponent without fear of consequence.
Johnson doesn't just speak of winning games but also dominating them. He wants his offense to set records and considers greatness to be the benchmark for his team.
To the Packers, it all sounds like arrogance.
"It's easy to have a camera in front of you and say whatever you want," Packers safety Evan Williams told reporters in Green Bay. "That's not going to stop you from getting hit in the mouth on any given Sunday."
When the time comes, the Bears will be ready to hit right back as Johnson has his team ready to back up its talk.
Emma's prediction (2-2): Bears 24, Packers 20
The Bears' star in this game will be running back D'Andre Swift, who will respond after his benching last Sunday with a strong performance to lead the ground game. Make it three straight for the Bears over the Packers.
Chris Emma covers the Bears and the Chicago sports scene for 104.3 The Score.
