Ben Johnson and Sean McVay are considered two of the best offensive minds in the league, and when their teams met in the NFC Divisional Round, there was no lack of excitement. The Chicago Bears and the Los Angeles Rams played until overtime, with the Rams advancing on a game-winning field goal.
NFL World Criticizes NBC After Missed Handshake Between Sean McVay and Ben Johnson
The game ended cruelly for the hosts, while the visitors booked a flight to Seattle for the third game of the season against their divisional rivals.
The traditional handshake between Johnson and McVay was bound to happen right after the field goal, but NBC dropped the ball and did not show the two coaches meeting on the field.
NFL circles were upset with the network, with some believing no handshake had occurred.
One of the critics was analyst Warren Sharp, who said that the producers who failed to show the handshake should be fired:
producers not showing the Ben Johnson Sean McVay handshake should result in pink slips
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) January 19, 2026
Grant Paulsen also criticized NBC for missing the handshake, calling it a “huge botch”:
Huge botch by NBC not showing the Ben Johnson – Sean McVay post game handshake.
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) January 19, 2026
They weren’t the only ones who wanted to see the handshake. The Athletic writer Andrew Marchand and popular podcaster Rob Bradford also had the same criticism, asking why the network did not show the two coaches in the middle of the field.
I wanted to see McVay-Johnson handshake
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) January 19, 2026
I wanted to see McVay-Johnson handshake
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) January 19, 2026
After the game, the NFL did tweet a video of the two coaches meeting in the middle of the field.
Ben Johnson is seen congratulating opposing players before hugging McVay. The pair has a brief exchange before separating for their locker rooms.
nothing but respect from Ben Johnson 🤝 pic.twitter.com/3tYVfdIczg
— NFL (@NFL) January 19, 2026
This was not the most outstanding performance by NBC producers. They also missed essential plays during the game, such as a field goal by Bears kicker Cairo Santos and an earlier penalty.
The conference championship games will not be broadcast on NBC. FOX and CBS are tasked with the two games. However, they’ll be responsible for broadcasting Super Bowl 60.
The last Super Bowl NBC aired was Super Bowl 56, when the Los Angeles Rams faced the Cincinnati Bengals. The Rams will hope for the same result.
