Ben Johnson didn’t tiptoe into Chicago - he kicked down the door.
From the moment he was introduced as the Bears’ new head coach, Johnson made it clear he wasn’t here to play nice. His message?
The days of Green Bay owning this rivalry were over. And he didn’t just say it - he pointed the finger directly at Matt LaFleur and said, “I look forward to beating you twice a year.”
That kind of boldness hasn’t been heard in Chicago since Lovie Smith made it his mission in 2004 to beat the Packers. And let’s be honest - Bears fans have been waiting a long time for someone to say it again.
At first, Packers fans shrugged it off. Just another young coach with a big mouth, they figured.
He’d learn his place soon enough. But then something happened that they didn’t see coming: Johnson backed it up.
Not once, but twice - including a wild card comeback that flipped the script on a rivalry that’s been one-sided for decades. Suddenly, the guy with the bold words became the guy with the scoreboard.
Now? Packers fans can’t stand him.
Social media’s filled with every insult in the book - and a few creative new ones - all aimed at Johnson. But here’s the thing: deep down, they know the truth.
As Alex “Ike” Eichstaedt of the IKE Packers Podcast put it, the hate isn’t just about the trash talk. It’s about fear.
Packers fans saw this coming. They knew who Ben Johnson was before he ever set foot in Halas Hall.
This isn’t a case of a coach getting lucky. Johnson’s offenses gave Green Bay fits during his time in Detroit.
For three seasons, he was the architect behind a Lions attack that routinely lit up the Packers’ defense. He didn’t just beat them - he out-schemed them.
And even then, it was clear: this guy was going to be a problem. The moment he got a head coaching job, especially in the NFC North, the balance of power was going to shift.
And it stings that he landed in Chicago.
This is the kind of move that flips a rivalry on its head. Think back to when Mike Holmgren left San Francisco - fresh off two Super Bowl wins - and took over in Green Bay.
Bears fans knew what that meant. Just like they knew in 2017, when Kyle Shanahan was available and the Bears opted to stick with John Fox instead.
Shanahan went to the 49ers, and the rest is history. Now it’s Green Bay’s turn to feel that same pit in their stomach.
Because this time, the Bears got the guy.
Matt LaFleur has had his playoff moments, but the Packers’ recent postseason runs have left more questions than answers. And with the NFC North getting more competitive by the year, Green Bay’s grip on the division isn’t what it used to be. If Chicago keeps building the right way - and if Johnson continues pushing all the right buttons - this new chapter of the rivalry won’t be one the Packers can simply brush off.
Ben Johnson didn’t just poke the bear. He woke it up. And now, for the first time in a long time, the rivalry feels real again.