If you stayed up to watch last night’s NFC Wild Card thriller between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, you saw one of the wildest comebacks of the postseason, and one of the coldest postgame moments you will ever see.
Chicago erased a stunning 21–3 halftime deficit to stun Green Bay, 31–27, at Soldier Field, sending the Bears to the Divisional Round and ending the Packers’ season in heartbreaking fashion. But it wasn’t just the comeback that had social media buzzing.
It was the handshake.
As the final seconds ticked away, cameras immediately cut to Bears head coach Ben Johnson and Packers head coach Matt LaFleur meeting at midfield. LaFleur paused and extended his hand in what looked like a traditional, respectful postgame gesture.
Johnson? He barely slowed down.
The Bears coach delivered a quick, almost dismissive shake and kept walking, barely making eye contact. The moment lasted only a second, but it was enough to ignite X (Twitter), TikTok, and every NFL group chat in America.
Quick handshake between Ben Johnson and Matt LaFleur 👀
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 11, 2026
(📺 Prime) pic.twitter.com/qYSKlSG5bK
The Ben Johnson/Matt LaFleur handshake from this angle is even better: https://t.co/sydThdOuVx pic.twitter.com/JphDeZB14g
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 11, 2026
And honestly, it didn’t come out of nowhere.
The tension between the two coaches dates back to Johnson’s introductory press conference as Bears head coach, when he famously said, “I kinda enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year.” That quote didn’t exactly endear him to Green Bay, and it clearly hasn’t been forgotten.
Given the history, the rivalry, and the emotion of a playoff elimination, the icy exchange felt personal. LaFleur handled it like a veteran, offering the handshake. Johnson handled it like a rival who just ripped your season away.
The result? A viral clip that perfectly captured the bitterness of the Bears-Packers rivalry, and a reminder that this feud isn’t cooling off anytime soon.
