The real story from Sunday’s game wasn’t about the quick handshake between coaches. It was about what happened on the field with the referees. Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur barely shook hands with Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson after the game, but that wasn’t the big deal everyone thought it would be. The interaction lasted just a second before both coaches moved on.
According to Yahoo Sports, LaFleur said it was just a quick handshake and mentioned they’ll play again in two weeks. Johnson had previously said he enjoyed beating LaFleur twice a year when he was with the Detroit Lions, but any tension between the coaches didn’t show up after the Packers won 28-21. Both coaches stayed professional and looked forward to their next meeting in Week 16, which could decide who wins the division.
Johnson even praised the rivalry and said it’s what football should be – cold weather in December at Lambeau Field with Green Bay and Chicago fighting for the top spot. The Packers held up their end and will face the Bears again at Soldier Field in two weeks.
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LaFleur and Packers fans are furious about missed holding calls on Parsons
But LaFleur had plenty to say about the officiating crew. Packers fans flooded social media with videos showing Bears players holding defensive end Micah Parsons throughout the game. Bears tackle Darnell Wright was caught on camera hooking his arm around Parsons’ neck during a key play in the fourth quarter. While Wright held Parsons, quarterback Caleb Williams escaped and threw a 24-yard pass deep into Green Bay territory.
The NFL’s official account posted the play as a Chicago highlight, which made Packers fans even angrier. In the video, Parsons can be seen on his knees with his arms raised, appearing to ask the refs why no flag was thrown. Parsons finished the game with eight quarterback pressures but no sacks or tackles.
When fans turn on defensive players, it’s usually because of poor performance, but in this case, Packers supporters were defending their star. LaFleur complained to officials multiple times during the game about what looked like obvious holding penalties that weren’t called.
When reporters asked about it after the game, LaFleur said he didn’t know what holding was anymore.“I’m not going to get into what we were talking about,” LaFleur said. “Officials, I don’t think their jobs are easy by any stretch – I think it’s a difficult job – but I guess I don’t know what holding is anymore because I thought it was a pretty clear and obvious hold. But I guess I don’t know what that means.”
Meanwhile, some NFL players are selling luxury homes as they focus on their careers, but Parsons is focused on getting fair treatment from officials. LaFleur knows that by speaking up now, he’s putting pressure on officials to watch more carefully in future games.
This isn’t new for Parsons. Dallas Cowboys fans complained about the same problem for years when he played there. In 2023, the Cowboys even contacted the league office to argue that Parsons was being held without penalties. Parsons talked about it publicly several times during his Dallas career. Now the issue has followed him to Green Bay.
When asked about it Sunday, Parsons stayed calm and said he just has to keep fighting through it. He explained that because he’s smaller and uses leverage to get under offensive linemen’s arms, officials might think holds against him don’t count. But LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst aren’t going to accept that answer as the team heads toward the playoffs.
Published: Dec 8, 2025 04:45 pm