Bear Digest

Austin Booker fined by NFL for Packers game hit but he's not alone

The NFL fined not only Austin Booker of the Bears but also another Bears player and two Green Bay Packers from the 22-16 Chicago overtime win.
Gene Chamberlain|
Jordan Love is sacked by Bears defensive end Austin Booker and suffers a concussion. Booker has been fined for the hit.
Jordan Love is sacked by Bears defensive end Austin Booker and suffers a concussion. Booker has been fined for the hit. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Austin Booker's penalty was expected for knocking Packers quarterback Jordan Love out of two straight Saturday night starts.

Booker, however, wasn't alone in getting slapped by the league for something that occurred in the 22-16 Chicago overtime victory over the Green Bay Packers. The problem is, the Packers player who deserved a fine didn't get one.

Booker drew two fines of $5,818 from the NFL for two different hits on Love in last week's game. The second one was the play sending Love to the injury tent for concussion evaluation and protocol, and now he has been ruled for tonight's game against the Ravens after failing to finish the game with Chicago.

The hit causing the concussion came on a sack with 8:21 left in the second quarter. Booker was flagged on the play. It was his second penalty. His first came on the third play from scrimmage when he was called for roughing the passer for a hit following a pass by Love.

The league speciied that Booker was fined for a blow to the head and neck area in the second quarter and for using his body weight on a hit to the quarterback in the first.

Booker had also been fined $5,818 in Week 10 for using his helmet against the Giants.

It wasn't the only Bears fine as linebacker D'Marco Jackson drew a late hit fine of $6,111 for a special teams play in the first quarter.

The Packers' fine Bears fans had anticipated was to cornerback Keisean Nixon, who was burned for the game-winning touchdown on a pass by Caleb Williams to DJ Moore. But Nixon was not fined for what looked like an obvious high and blind-side hit he delivered away from the ball to Bears wide receiver DJ Moore.

Instead, two other Packers were fined.

Defensive lineman Warren Brinson was fined $4,981 for facemasking Caleb Williams in the fourth quarter. Also, wide receiver Jayden Reed got the heaviest fine of the game at $10,881 for taunting in the third quarter.

Bears fines for 2025

  • 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.