NFL Sideline Reporter Breaks Silence After Getting Stared Down By Ben Johnson

cbs sports

Bears head coach Ben Johnson is addressing the viral interaction he had with a sideline reporter over the weekend. During halftime of the Bears-Raiders game, CBS reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala asked Johnson what he had told his team to get the offense going after they had turned the ball over several times.

“Do you need to change what you’re doing?” Kinkhabwala asked, which appeared to annoy Johnson, who then gave her the death stare.

Ben Johnson didn’t seem thrilled with his team coming out of halftime. @AKinkhabwala caught up with the Bears head coach. pic.twitter.com/ZQRhZDIQDt

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 28, 2025

On Tuesday, Kinkhabwala spoke with the NY Post about the incident.

“It’s not the most ideal position to be put in, regardless, but you know I’ve talked to [former Patriots coach] Bill Belichick at halftime — so I’d like to think after all these decades of doing this job, I’m not going to be intimidated,” Kinkhabwala said via phone.

“I wish I’d been a little bit more specific on that follow-up. 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?’ For me, it was the run game, but I don’t want ot put any words in somebody’s mouth.

“I could have been more artful. But you know what, I’m thinking about today, I’m thinking about [Raiders quarterback] Geno Smith saying to me on Friday how his offensive line was so beleaguered, and he said, ‘You know what, I’d like some of those people to stand up and try to block.’”

Johnson addressed the awkward interaction with Kinkhabwala during a media appearance on Monday.

“In the moment, I didn’t think too much of it, I’m in game mode,” Johnson said. “But then, when I look back at it, I am a little disappointed with what that looks like. I didn’t hear very well, and that’s not an excuse, but when I thought I heard, I needed to make some changes, and not a question, I didn’t take that so well.”