Chicago Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson went shirtless in the locker room after his team's 24-15 victory over the Eagles, leading to a city-wide celebration and free hot dogs from The Wiener's Circle. The unconventional move was met with amusement from teammates and fans alike, including tight end Cole Kmet, who described it as "bizarre."
However, Johnson insists that going shirtless was more than just a publicity stunt – he genuinely wanted to reward the city for their support. "I think any time you get a chance to feed a city, you wanna do it," he said in an interview on Monday. The move also served as a way to poke fun at his own physique, acknowledging that he's not as lean as he used to be.
The deal with The Wiener's Circle was already on the table after quarterback Caleb Williams' impressive performance against the Cowboys in September, when they promised to feed patrons if Johnson went shirtless. Johnson joked that it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, partly driven by his desire to show off his body while he still could.
"I figured the sooner, the better," he said with a chuckle. "I'm not in the weight room much anymore. This thing keeps getting a little bit worse as we go on in the season." While Johnson seemed uncomfortable with the attention it brought him and took away from the team's focus, he didn't regret the move.
The gesture was meant to bring the city together, which is indeed a big part of this journey for the Bears as they navigate the season. "The intent was to bring up the city of Chicago," Johnson explained. "Hopefully it gave them a little bit of excitement because they're a big part of this journey as we're going through the season."
However, Johnson insists that going shirtless was more than just a publicity stunt – he genuinely wanted to reward the city for their support. "I think any time you get a chance to feed a city, you wanna do it," he said in an interview on Monday. The move also served as a way to poke fun at his own physique, acknowledging that he's not as lean as he used to be.
The deal with The Wiener's Circle was already on the table after quarterback Caleb Williams' impressive performance against the Cowboys in September, when they promised to feed patrons if Johnson went shirtless. Johnson joked that it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, partly driven by his desire to show off his body while he still could.
"I figured the sooner, the better," he said with a chuckle. "I'm not in the weight room much anymore. This thing keeps getting a little bit worse as we go on in the season." While Johnson seemed uncomfortable with the attention it brought him and took away from the team's focus, he didn't regret the move.
The gesture was meant to bring the city together, which is indeed a big part of this journey for the Bears as they navigate the season. "The intent was to bring up the city of Chicago," Johnson explained. "Hopefully it gave them a little bit of excitement because they're a big part of this journey as we're going through the season."
! I get it, wanna reward the city for their support and show some humility 
. But also, who wouldn't want to rock a shirtless victory dance in the locker room? 
It's not like he's trying to be a social media influencer or anything (although, let's be real, that hot dog deal was a win-win 
).
)? The fact that he's still got that playful spark is what makes him an amazing coach and person. Keep doin' what you're doin', Coach! 
!" 
And can we talk about Cole Kmet's "bizarre" comment? 
Ugh, a sports team's coach just made a total idiot out of himself goin' shirtless in the locker room and now Chicago is all about that 
The guy says it was a "spur-of-the-moment" decision but really it's just him tryin' to get attention and distract from the fact that his team's not doin' so great this season 
. And now they're celebratin' like it's a major win when it's actually just a 9-point victory 
. I guess you could say the Bears are just 'bear'-ly scrapin' by right now... 
.
? On the other hand, I think it might've taken away from the focus of the game for the players... like Cole Kmet said, it was kinda "bizarre". But at the end of the day, it seems like Ben Johnson meant well and wanted to spread some joy to the city. And who doesn't love a good excuse for free food? 
. I mean, who doesn't love free hot dogs, right? But seriously, it was a great way for him to connect with the city and show appreciation for all the support they've been giving the team this season. It's not every day you see a coach like that, you know? He's humble, he's down-to-earth, and he's willing to poke fun at himself - that's the kind of leadership I think people respond to positively 
It's all about bringing the community together and creating a positive vibe, which is exactly what Johnson did here. I think fans loved it, teammates loved it, and even if some people thought it was a bit weird, that's just part of the fun, right? 
he's so humble about his body and wants to poke fun at himself, that's so refreshing! I mean, who doesn't want free hot dogs from the wiener's circle tho? 
but seriously, it's awesome that he wanted to reward the city for their support and bring the team together. as a fan of the bears, i can see how his gesture would bring a lot of excitement to the city. and yeah, cole kmet's description of ben going shirtless as "bizarre" is def on point 
, and he poked fun at his own physique. It shows that he's down-to-earth and can laugh at himself.
!
. I mean, who wouldn't want a free hot dog from The Wiener's Circle? 
It was a nice gesture and it brought everyone together, which is what sports is all about, right? So, yeah, I think Coach Johnson's shirtless moment was actually a good thing 