When Chicago coach Ben Johnson took a thinly veiled shot at the Green Bay Packers’ decision to rest starters in Week 18, Matt LaFleur answered with a measured, textbook response. He defended his approach, stressing player health and continuity ahead of the playoffs while refusing to escalate the exchange.
Johnson’s remark about “some teams rest their starters; we don’t” drew immediate attention because it framed the Week 18 choices as a test of toughness rather than a strategic calculation. The comment added an extra edge to an already heated rivalry and handed bulletinu2011board material to a Packers team that opted to prioritize recovery after securing the No.