Chicago Bears accused of cheating by 2 Buccaneers players

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Chicago Bears accused of cheating by 2 Buccaneers players

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Jordan Sigler | Last updated Nov 9, 2026 12:37 PM ET

The Chicago Bears sprinted out to a 17-3 lead, but it took a strong defensive effort that included a pick-6 by cornerback Jaylon Johnson for the Bears to hold on to a 27-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on “Sunday Night Football” to head into their bye week at 7-2.

Two Buccaneers offensive players called out the Bears after Sunday night’s game.

Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield accused the Bears of calling out the cadence, which led to an offsides penalty against the Bucs.

“The last one, I know they were barking out the cadence, which you can’t do that,” Mayfield said, via Pro Football Talk. “It’s tough for the refs to call that because they’re not right there at the line of scrimmage. They called that on Tristan (Wirfs), but you can’t do that.”

Chicago Bears’ Jeffery Simmons called out by Buccaneers

Nov 2, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Chicago Bears defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (99) on the sidelines against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Buccaneers offensive guard Luke Goedeke told ESPN’s Kalyn Khaler that Bears defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons held the offensive tackle, allowing the defensive end to rush the quarterback.

“I mean, you’re holding me on one, you came right at my head. I mean, that’s always fun,” Goedeke said. “He’s known for it on pass pro, just holding the tackle so that the DE can run free, so I got that twice. So that’s always a good one.

“But yeah, just kind of going back and forth. I mean, respect the guy, but some of the stuff he can really take out of his game. It’s just kind of old, to be honest.”

Goedeke said he knows league officials won’t call a penalty.

Mayfield was sacked four times for -17 yards. He took numerous hits on top of those sacks.

The Bucs have a reason to be sour after the close loss to Chicago. Tampa Bay fell to 3-6, which is not where the team was expected to be at this point in the season.

For the Bears, the addition of Simmons had proved impactful. He recorded four tackles and one sack on Sunday night. His presence up front allowed his teammates to get opportunities to hit and sack Mayfield, leading to excuses, valid or not, from Tampa Bay’s offense.

This article first appeared on ChiCitySports and was syndicated with permission.

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