The Rams will head to Chicago on Sunday to face off against the Bears with a spot in the NFC championship game on the line.
Ahead of the game, Los Angeles coach Sean McVay was asked about his relationship with Packers coach Matt LaFleur, as Green Bay had just defeated the Bears in the divisional round. Would he be leaning on LaFleur in an attempt to gain any possible edge against Ben Johnson in their upcoming battle?
McVay laughed off the question while also acknowledging the obvious.
“What would you guess?” he asked in response, smiling. “No, you know what—we watch the tape, we do our work, and Matt is a very close friend of mine.”
#Rams HC Sean McVay on whether he’s been on the phone with #Packers HC Matt LaFleur:
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) January 15, 2026
“What would you guess? No, you know what — we watch the tape, we do our work, and Matt is a very close friend of mine.” pic.twitter.com/LsfESmlnoU
Not only are McVay and LaFleur tied together from their branching paths off of the Mike Shanahan coaching tree, but LaFleur’s brother Mike LaFleur currently serves as the Rams’ offensive coordinator. There’s a good chance McVay would be talking over the week’s matchup with the LaFleur brothers no matter who the opponent was this upcoming week. It’s just a bit extra convenient that the opponent is one that LaFleur has to face off against regularly.
There’s no “One Weird Trick” to beating the Bears in the playoffs, and if LaFleur had one, he probably would have used it last week. That said, there’s likely a few things that the Packers coach could share that he found from a week of prepping for Chicago to get the ball rolling.
Further, McVay is undoubtedly hoping to take down Johnson, not just to keep his team’s run for a Super Bowl alive, but also to ensure that he comes out on top of the next coaching handshake the world is waiting to see.
Sunday cannot come fast enough.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
- Mike Tomlin Seen Supporting Daughter at Georgia Gymnastics Meet After Steelers Exit
- John Harbaugh, Giants Will Work Into Weekend to Finish Contract
- Cavaliers' Jaylon Tyson Stumps for NFL Prospect Brother After Huge Night vs. 76ers
- Sam Darnold Injury: Mike Macdonald Gives Update on Seahawks QB Ahead of 49ers Game
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sean McVay Teases Conversations With Matt LaFleur Ahead of Bears Matchup.
