Ryan Poles commends Ben Johnson for reigniting the rivalry between the Bears and Packers in a way no coach has been able to for years
The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers are supposed to be one of the most intense rivalries in professional sports and Ben Johnson is making sure that continues.
The Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers are supposed to be one of the most intense rivalries in professional sports, but it didn’t feel like it prior to the 2025 NFL season.
The Packers, for years, tormented the Bears during the reign under quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who famously claimed he “owned” Chicago. It was a reign that seemed like it was going to continue under head coach Matt LaFleur and quarterback Jordan Love.
That is, until the Bears found a head coach and quarterback of their own. When the Bears first hired Ben Johnson last January, he immediately stoked the fire by saying how much he enjoyed beating LaFleur twice a year while serving as the OC of the Detroit Lions. A bold message, but one the Bears needed to hear at the right time.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles commends Ben Johnson for leaning into the Bears-Packers rivalry
“That’s what you want to play for. You want to play for a guy that’s not scared, that’s aggressive and someone that wants to compete,” Bears general manager Ryan Poles said, via Hoge and Jahns. “It raises the level of both organizations to be completely honest with you. We needed that. I think we needed that jump start.”
While it was strong words right out of the gate, but Johnson backed it up. Chicago won two of their three matchups against the Packers in Johnson’s first season at the helm, including an overtime win in the regular season and a second-half rally in the NFC’s wild card round. It was Chicago’s first playoff win since 2010 and first postseason victory over their bitter rival since 1941.
“When I first got here, it was all about just getting beat by them a lot and it was this mountain to climb,” Poles continued. “Ben’s like screw it, we’re just going to take this head on and take this rivalry over and we’re not going to be scared to talk about it.”
It was more than just sending a statement on the field. Johnson made things personal, not against LaFleur, but against the entire organization with how he handled those games and the way he spoke about the team all season long.
“The Bears and the Packers, they should not like each other,” Johnson explained at the NFL Combine. “I think it’s as simple as that. And I think that’s gonna make this rivalry, this game, something that people are going to watch here going forward.”
It’s been years since the Bears were able to stand toe-to-toe with the Packers. It’s something old-school fans are excited to see continue for years to come. This rivalry is truly back like never before and even more intense.
“I think it makes it exciting and the NFL exciting,” Poles said. “People want to see that. I’d be shocked if those games aren’t in primetime. Everyone wants to be tuned into that game.”
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