Bear Digest

Another Austin Booker hit on Jordan Love draws biggest Bears fine

The Bears defensive end was hit with the biggest fine of the season after his sack of Jordan Love in the wild-card round playoff win by Chicago.
Gene Chamberlain|
Austin Booker sacks Jordan Love in a play deemed worthy of a steep fine by the NFL.
Austin Booker sacks Jordan Love in a play deemed worthy of a steep fine by the NFL. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Austin Booker has been fine again for using his helmet, but this time it really cost him.

The second-year Bears edge rusher was slapped with a fine by the league of $46,371 for using his helmet while making a sack during Saturday night's playoff win over the Packers on Jordan Love. It's the biggest fine of the season for the Bears.

If you recall, it was Booker who got fined $5,830 twice for unnecessary roughness in the Week 16 win over the Packers when Love went out with a concussion.

This hit in the playoff game also was on a sack to Love for a 1-yard loss to the Bears 29 with 9:40 left in the second quarter. The Packers went on to score a touchdown on the drive with an 18-yard pass to Jayden Reed.

Booker has picked up the pace late in his second season and has 4 1/2 sacks in his last five games.

This was the biggest NFL fine of the week. It matched the most anyone has been fined since Frankie Luvu of the Commanders was fined $100,000 for a hip-drop tackle in Week 9.

Repeat offenders for using the helmet automatically are fined $46,371 on the league's scale.

Bears fines for 2025

  • Austin Booker, $46,371 in wild card playoffs vs. Green Bay for using helmet
  • Austin Booker, $5,818, Week 16 vs. Green Bay, roughing QB (using his body weight)
  • Austin Booker, $5,818, Week 16 vs. Green Bay, roughing QB (head and neck area)
  • D'Marco Jackson, $6,111, Week 16 vs. Green Bay, unncessary roughness
  • Luther Burden $11,075, Week 14 vs. Green Bay, unnecessary roughness
  • Durham Smythe $12,172, Week 13 vs. Philadelphia, low block
  • Darnell Wright, $23,186 Week 13 vs. Philadelphia, use of helmet
  • DJ Moore, $11,593, Week 11 vs. Pittburgh, taunting
  • Austin Booker, $5,818, Week 10 vs. N.Y. Giants, use of helmet
  • Kevin Byard, $23,186, Week 10 vs. N.Y. Giants, use of helmet
  • D'Marco Jackson, $6,111, Week 9 vs. Cincinnati, hip-drop tackle
  • Roschon Johnson, $6,790, Week 4 vs. Las Vegas, use of helmet
  • Cole Kmet, $17,389, Week 1, vs. Minnesota, leg whip
  • Noah Sewell, $6,174, Week 1, vs. Minnesota, hip-drop tackle

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.