Eagle-eyed NFL fans spotted Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson seemingly telling Caleb Williams to ‘shut the f*** up’ in the fourth quarter of the team’s game against Washington Commanders.
In a gripping Monday night NFL showdown, the Bears were trailing the Commanders by two points on a rainy night in DC when Chicago returned to the field with around eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
And they thought they had got a big first down before the play was brought back for an offensive offside.
As the referee was signalling the call, cameras cut to Johnson talking animatedly into his headset, holding the playsheet, when he very clearly mouthed’shut the f*** up’.
The camera quickly cut away but millions of fans watching the game at home didn’t need an expert lip-reader to interpret what Johnson said. Immediately, the split-second moment that was caught on camera went viral. Johnson may have been complaining about the refereeing decision but fans naturally thought his comment was aimed at Williams.
‘Did Ben Johnson just say “shut the f*** up” while talking to Caleb Williams?’ one fan wrote.
Tempers flared with Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams
But they both ended up on the winning team, with the Bears now winning three straight games
Johnson is starting to see progress with his Bears team after losing his first two games
Another shared the offending clip and added: ‘Ben Johnson told Caleb Williams to “shut the f*** up” I’m weak.’
The Bears led 13-0 at one stage but the Commanders flipped it round into a 17-16 lead on a dramatic night.
But ultimately, despite tensions flaring, Williams and Johnson emerged victorious thanks to a field goal with three seconds left on the clock by Jake Moody, securing a 25-24 win.
The Bears are now 3-2 for the season, while the Commanders fall to 3-3.
Speaking after the game, Johnson suggested that the victory could give his team a springboard for the rest of their campaign.
‘think these wins, sometimes, can go a longer way for your program than those blowouts do,’ he said.
‘I think it says a lot about our locker room right now. They are really, not just believing but starting to understand that if this thing is close in the fourth quarter, someone is going to step up and make a play for us.’
For his part, Williams also praised his teammates for digging deep to carve out a victory on Monday night and referenced Johnson building a fighting spirit.
Williams praised the fighting spirit of his team after a dramatic late win on Monday
‘We’re 3-2 because of our fight, because of how we face adversity,’ Williams said on the field at the end of the game.
‘The defense played a hell of a game. For them to be able to hold up and do their part, it was only right for us that we do ours. That’s who we are, we fight.
‘That’s what coach said. We went 0-2 first two games, we tied it back up and now we’re 3-2.’
Williams and Johnson will now turn their attention to the New Orleans Saints next Sunday, while the Commanders meet Dallas Cowboys.