The sideline got hot Sunday in Las Vegas. Bears head coachBen Johnson squared up on CBS reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala during a halftime exchange that went viral fast. Chicago trailed 14-9 at the break, and Johnson’s body language said everything.
Reporter Shuts Down Bears HC Ben Johnson After Heated Gesture in Sideline Interview
Reporter Shuts Down Bears HC Ben Johnson After Heated Gesture in Sideline Interview (Screenshot Via YouTube/@WoodwardSports)
Kinkhabwala asked a standard question but phrased it like a challenge: “Do you need to change what you’re doing? Johnson seemingly leaned in on the sideline reporter, jaw tight, and fired back, saying, “I don’t know. You think so? We’ll be fine.”
The clip blew up outright, and now, Kinkhabwala has broken her silence on the tensed moment.
Reporter Shuts Down Bears HC Ben Johnson After Heated Gesture in Sideline Interview
The tension started before kickoff. Chicago’s offense was ice cold through two quarters. They managed just 90 yards of total offense and scored only six points off three turnovers. That’s not winning football.
When Kinkhabwala caught Johnson heading back to the locker room during break, she asked about his message to the team. Johnson answered fine at first.But then came the follow-up that set him off.
Days later, Kinkhabwala appeared on the “Mully and Haugh Show” in Chicago to set the record straight. She didn’t back down from her approach but admitted her words could’ve been better.
“It’s not the most ideal position to be put in, regardless, but you know I’ve talked to Bill Belichick at halftime,” Kinkhabwalasaid. “So I’d like to think after all these decades of doing this job, I’m not going to be intimidated.”
On with @mullyhaugh, @AKinkhabwala discussed her odd moment with Ben Johnson in their halftime interview.
“I wish I’d been a little more specific on that follow-up” she says.
She praises the “competitive” Johnson and wants the story to be about his first road win in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/rL3A0KB0lS
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) September 29, 2025
She explained what she was really trying to ask. The Bears’ run game had been shut down. She wanted to know if they needed specific adjustments or just cleaner execution.
“I wish I’d been a little bit more specific on that follow-up,” she added. “Instead of saying, ‘You need to change something.’ What I was trying to get at was, ‘Is it just simply about being cleaner, or is it that you need to make a very specific adjustment?'”
Kinkhabwala continued, “For me, it was the run game, but I don’t want to put any words in somebody’s mouth. I could have been more artful.”
She wrapped by referencing another recent interview where Raiders quarterback Geno Smith defended his offensive line.
Kinkhabwala’s not new to this job. She’s been doing this for decades and handled Johnson’s response with poise.
However, Johnson addressed the incident on Mondayafter getting backlash. He said he misheard the question at the moment. He thought Kinkhabwala was telling him what to do instead of asking about adjustments. He also said he’d handle it better next time.
But the damage has already been done. It seems like the clip will follow both of them for the rest of the season. Sideline interviews are always awkward but this one just happened to catch fire at the worst possible time.