NFL Facing Punishment Decision After Jalen Hurts Incident

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NFL Facing Punishment Decision After Jalen Hurts Incident

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Sep 30, 2026 8:02 AM ET

The Chicago Bears picked up their second win of the new NFL season on Monday night. They defeated Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-7, at Soldier Field.

Case Keenum was spectacular for the Bears. The veteran stepped into the QB1 role after Caleb Williams’ injury. Backup QB Tyson Bagent suffered a concussion in Week 2 filling in for Williams. Bagent was cleared to play, but head coach Ben Johnson opted for Keenum.

Keenum passed for 247 yards and scored two touchdowns. He also rushed four times for six yards and another touchdown.

At this point, however, one of Chicago’s linebackers is awaiting the NFL’s decision on potential punishment.

Hurts was not at his best on Monday night. He completed 16-of-25 passes for 153 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception. Hurts registered four carries for 25 yards and one rushing touchdown, the Eagles’ lone TD of the game.

Hurts was also involved in a contentious incident during the game. Bears linebacker D’Marco Jackson was called for a personal foul on the Eagles QB at the 8:34 mark of the second quarter.

After not being able to find an open receiver, Hurts decided to run the ball himself. Hurts took a hard hit from Jackson just as he was heading out of bounds. The 6-foot-1 linebacker used his shoulder to hit the quarterback, sending the three-time Pro Bowler crashing.

Chicago’s D’Marco Jackson was assessed an unnecessary roughness penalty for this hit on Jalen Hurts. pic.twitter.com/Ywww1spEpT
— ESPN (@espn) September 29, 2026

A flag was thrown on the play, and Jackson was called for unnecessary roughness. This resulted in an automatic 15-yard penalty for the Bears.

Hurts, who was slow to get up after the hit, was forced to leave the game to get assessed for a concussion. Andy Dalton stepped in while Hurts was in the blue tent, but the backup QB ended up throwing an interception at the end zone in his only pass attempt of the game.

Hurts was later cleared to play, but his temporary absence potentially cost Philadelphia a touchdown.

Jackson, meanwhile, is now bracing for a punishment from the NFL. The NFL will review the incident and determine whether his actions deserve a fine. For context, a late hit would result in an $11,941 fine, per the NFL’s 2026 fines and appeals schedule. However, if the league determines that Jackson impermissibly used his helmet or launched into Hurts, the Bears LB could be fined $23,882.

Jackson will now wait for the NFL’s punishment decision, which is typically announced every Saturday.

Both the Eagles and the Bears are now preparing for their respective Week 4 matchups. The Bears will be hosting the New York Jets on Sunday as they aim to get their second win in a row. Meanwhile, the Eagles will be facing the Los Angeles Rams at Lincoln Financial Field.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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