NFL

Sean McVay-Ben Johnson drama grows ahead of finals: ‘It didn’t go well’

ballervisions 2026年1月17日

The Ben Johnson-Matt LaFleur beef now bleeds into the divisional round and brings Sean McVay into contention.

The Bears face the Rams on Sunday night, and if the past few days — after the Bears’ coach’s explosive celebration of beating the Packers in the wild-card round — are any indication, it could be the right ingredients for a bitter matchup.

After a 31-27 win over Green Bay, Johnson ignored and ignored LaFleur’s handshake before walking into the locker room and yelling “F–k the Packers, man! F–k them. UF–king hates those guys,” according to the team’s official social media accounts.

ESPN NFL analyst Peter Schrager reported that the move “didn’t go down well” across the league and within McVay’s camp.

Ben Johnson yells “Fk the Packers” inside the Bears locker room after defeating Green Bay in the wildcard round. X @ChicagoBears

The Rams coach is very close to LaFleur, and on top of that, the Rams’ coordinator is Mike LaFleur, who happens to be Matt LaFleur’s younger brother.

“Great disrespect and the video of the locker room where you say ‘F the Packers. F that coaching staff’, and the click of the social media team. Send it. Show it to the world,” Schrager told The Ringer on Friday. “And the next day I have 24 hours to really think about it, I say, ‘No, I live by what I said and my owners got that.’ This is the WWE side of this where there are real people involved.

“I think McVay wants to kick Ben Johnson and I think Ben Johnson, who beat McVay the last two times Detroit played the Rams, has no problem with that. I’m going to beat that. I love these two guys. Two alpha offensive minds at the forefront of this game. I can’t wait.”

The divisiveness seems to have turned personal, and that was very evident following the Rams’ press conference on Friday.

Head coach Sean McVay looks on from the sidelines during a game against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium on January 4, 2026 in Inglewood, California. Getty Images

As both teams prepare for the next round, McVay was asked if he had been in contact with the Packers coach, who has played Johnson three different times this season and could provide more insight.

To that, McVay just smiled and said, “Guess what? No, you know – we watch tape, we do our job, and Matt is my best friend.”

McVay and LaFleur previously worked together on Washington’s staff, and when the former took over the Rams, he took LaFleur with him to be his offensive coordinator for the 2017 season.

Head coach Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams hugs head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers after their game at SoFi Stadium on October 6, 2024 in Inglewood, California. Getty Images

The last two times Johnson, who was with the Lions as their offensive coordinator at the time, faced McVay, the former won.

In 2024, the Lions got the best of the Rams in an overtime game to open the season, 26-20, and the year before, McVay lost in the wild card round in a close 24-23 loss.

McVay will look to finish the job LaFleur failed to do on Sunday night.