There was a very mild controversy involving the Detroit Lions following the Chicago Bears’ win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.
Bears coach Ben Johnson was asked about the night of third-string quarterback Case Keenum, and how to coach a game with a much different skillset than their normal quarterback Caleb Williams.
“I’ve got a little history with that, calling plays for someone not so mobile,” Johnson said with a smile. “Now, I don’t have a history with someone that’s not a No. 1 pick,
though, so that was currently a big deal. But Case came through, he played lights out.“
Some took offense to that claim, viewing it as an insult to Lions quarterback Jared Goff.
Goff addressed that situation in his appearance on the “St. Brown Brothers” podcast this week, downplaying the situation.
“Ben can’t seem to get out of his own way when he’s talking to the media,” Goff said with a smile. “So I know there was no ill-intent to that. He seems to be a lightning rod for them. They pick up everything he says.”
This isn’t the first time Johnson’s comments have been construed as an insult to Goff. Back in 2025, Johnson made another comment about Goff’s mobility, drawing a response from Lions safety Kerby Joseph.
This time, however, Goff said he has already received a call from Johnson, further clarifying that he did not intend to insult the Lions quarterback.
“He called me this morning and was like, ‘Dude, you know that means nothing,’” Goff said. “I’m like, ‘Yeah, dude. You’re good. Don’t worry about it.’”
That said, Goff joked that he may throw some shade back at Johnson as revenge.
“But I’m saving something. I’ll have to throw something his way at some point, where I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah, whatever. But like playcaller, blah, blah, blah,’” Goff said. “And I’ll call him and be like, ‘Dude, you know I’m just kidding. You know I mean nothing by it.’”
Goff even admitted that what Johnson said was accurate.
“Probably the lower end of the league,” Goff said describing his mobility. “But I don’t think he was telling any lies when he said I wouldn’t be considered mobile. Am I more mobile than Case? I sure hope so. I love you Case, but he’s in year whatever-he’s-in, and I’m a bit younger and hopefully a bit more mobile than him.”
So there is obviously no real controversy here, other than fans being overprotective of their team’s players.
