The Detroit Lions fans did not provide a warm welcome as former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson returned for a rivalry game. They chose to deliver an NSFW message.
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Videos posted on X showed members of the crowd repeatedly chanting "F*ck Ben Johnson" during the fourth quarter. The Lions led Johnson's Bears 45-21 at the time as both teams tried to recover from an 0-1 start.
The Lions accomplished their goal. They beat the Bears 52-21 to reach 1-1 on the season.
#Lions fans were chanting "F*** Ben Johnson" during today's game vs. the Bears:
(🎥 @bradPSG) pic.twitter.com/XmYJezT8Dw
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 14, 2025
"Yeah, I didn't like that," Lions quarterback Jared Goff said after the game. "He did a lot for us here. I don't know if he deserved that."
To Goff's point, Johnson spent three seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. The team's playmakers flourished under his guidance while ranking fifth in points-per-game in two seasons and first last season.
The Lions reached the NFC Championship game in Johnson's second season as OC and the divisional round last season. They won the NFC North in back-to-back seasons. The last time the Lions won the division was the 1993 season.
The situation changed significantly during the offseason, however, as Johnson moved on to new pastures. He joined the Chicago Bears and took over as the head coach. This automatically made him a rival of his former team.
Johnson's tenure with the coach has started with back-to-back division losses. The team fell to the Vikings in Week 1 and then lost to the Lions in Week 2. This second loss, in particular, featured Lions head coach Dan Campbell opting for a touchdown attempt on fourth-and-goal late in the game instead of kicking a field goal.
This led to questions about whether Campbell ran up the score on his former OC. This isn't how Johnson viewed the situation, but he did not answer with a particularly happy tone.
"What's he supposed to do? It's fourth and goal," Johnson said. "Yeah, he could've kicked the field goal, they don't kick field goals. They go for it. He was doing what he was supposed to do. That's what he does."
