During Ben Johnson's introductory press conference as the Chicago Bears' new head coach back in February, he took a jab at Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur saying he "kind of enjoyed beating" the Packers coach twice a year with the Detroit Lions.

LaFleur waited months to finally give his response to Johnson's comment, clarifying that there's no "beef" between them. And, the Packers coach gave some subtle shade to the Bears coach in the process.

"I don't know Ben Johnson," LaFleur said on Bussin' With The Boys. "Do I have beef? I don't know Ben Johnson. I respect him as a football coach, he did a nice job [with the Lions]. ... I thought it was interesting. The press conference was interesting, but I don't have beef with him. ... I don't get all into that stuff."

LaFleur doesn't seem too worried about facing Johnson in 2025, especially since the Bears–Packers rivalry has been dominated by Green Bay in recent years. They've won 11 out of the last 13 contests against Chicago.

While Johnson was with the Lions working as the offensive coordinator from 2022-24, though, the Lions beat the Packers five out of six times, so it's understandable why Johnson has so much confidence against LaFleur. But, it could be a different story in Chicago as the Bears have struggled to beat Green Bay consistently for a while.

All of the smack talk will be proven on the field this fall since the Packers and Bears play each other twice a year. All eyes will be on Johnson to see if he can beat LaFleur twice a year in Chicago like he did in Detroit.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Matt LaFleur Gives His Honest Take About ‘Beef’ With Bears’ Ben Johnson.

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