The Chicago Bears’ first season under new head coach Ben Johnson has been a mixed bag. While his influence has seen Caleb Williams continue to grow, the results for the quarterback or the team as a whole haven’t been as instant as many may have anticipated. Starting 0-2, they were able to rally back to 2-2 heading into the Bye Week.
Their win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday was their first road win since Matt Eberflus took over as head coach. However, rather than the game, a sideline interaction between Chicago’s new coach and a sideline reporter became the town’s talk. With news and reactions festering for a whole day, Johnson finally broke his silence and addressed what happened between the two.
What Happened Between Ben Johnson and the Sideline Reporter?
Aditi Kinkhabwala has been active in the industry since 1999. She started as a journalist for the San Antonio Express-News before moving into a writer’s role for the Wall Street Journal.
Eventually, she joined the NFL Network, where she spent more than a decade. Finally, in 2022, she switched to the NFL on CBS, where she’s taken on a role as a contributor and reporter.
During the game between the Bears and the Raiders, she interviewed the former offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions as the second half finished. She claimed his game plan wasn’t working, so she asked him to make a change.
Taking offense to her suggestion, he fired back at her. Unfortunately, the incident went viral on social media, with fans split between the reporter and the coach. A day later, Johnson was asked about the interaction and chose to clear the air immediately.
Taking the onus on himself, he clarified, “In the moment, I didn’t think too much of it. I’m kind of in game mode. But then, when I looked back at it, I am a little bit disappointed with what that looks like.”
Ben Johnson on his halftime exchange with CBS’s Aditi Kinkhabwala pic.twitter.com/rF65KiFkAM
— Dave (@dave_bfr) September 29, 2025
Claiming it was a misunderstanding, he explained, “I didn’t hear very well. When I thought I heard, not a question but that I needed to make changes, I didn’t take that very well. So, I’ll do a better job with those going forward.”
For any coach, certainly one who is just four games into his first head coaching gig, having their strategy questioned on national television would put them on the back foot. His reaction was fully understandable if he believed that Kinkhabwala was suggesting changes.
But, for him to be upfront and acknowledge his mistake was a wonderful sign for a young Bears team that needs the right kind of leadership in the locker room.
