Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson’s apparently “not-so-jolly” reaction while announcing the team’s spot in Hallmark’s Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story has gone viral. The film is set to premiere during Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas later in
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson didn’t exactly sell the moment like a man greeting a sleigh of good news.
In a social media announcement posted by the Chicago Bears on June 25. 2026. Johnson and tight end Colston Loveland stood in front of a camera for the NFL-themed Hallmark movie that will feature the team. The Bears are set to be part of Hallmark Channel’s Holiday Touchdown franchise with “Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story. ” joining the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills as teams already featured in the series.
The video had its share of fans reacting to Johnson’s body language. In one comment, a user joked: “Ben Johnson so pissed admin took him away from watching film to take part in this.”
Johnson, speaking from what looked like his office, did still make a promise to viewers. He said, “my wife Jessica and I will definitely be tuning in for this one.”
Not everyone took the message at face value, either. Another follower responded to the post with: “looks like he’s reading a ransom note,” pushing the moment from sports fandom into a viral meme.
Johnson is heading into his second season as Bears head coach. He previously gained notoriety as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator. In his first season in Chicago, the Bears reached the Divisional Round of the playoffs, where they lost to the Los Angeles Rams.
The Bears’ Hallmark project isn’t expected to arrive right away. This year’s Holiday Touchdown is slated for later in 2026. though the team’s announcement did not provide a specific day. Instead, it said the movie will premiere during Hallmark Channel’s 17th annual Countdown to Christmas programming event.
Production is set to begin this summer. The announcement also promised the film “will film entirely at locations in and around Chicago, showcasing iconic locations.”
Fans will have to wait to see which Bears players—if any—make cameo appearances. The announcement notes that players on the Chiefs and the Bills previously appeared in their respective Holiday Touchdown movies.
The origins of the attention around the Holiday Touchdown franchise trace back to Hallmark’s early efforts to ride broad pop-culture momentum. The story initially appeared to be tied to the hype surrounding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship that sparked the first Holiday Touchdown movie. Since then, the franchise has continued into a third entry—this time expanding to Chicago.
For now, the football stakes are still there, but it’s the Hallmark camera that’s stealing the spotlight. And with Johnson’s expression doing the heavy lifting, Bears fans are already treating the announcement like part of the season—even if the premiere is still months away.
Chicago Bears Ben Johnson Colston Loveland Hallmark Holiday Touchdown A Bears Love Story Countdown to Christmas NFL themed Christmas movie Kansas City Chiefs Buffalo Bills