NFL sends firm message after Jordan Love situation by dropping the hammer twice on Bears defensive player

Jordan Love suffered a concussion last week against the Chicago Bears, left the game in the second quarter, and won't be able to play this week against the Baltimore Ravens. But that won't be without consequences for the other side.

Bears defensive tackle Austin Booker got fined twice for two illegal hits on the Packers quarterback. The first one was in the first quarter, for using his body weight on Love. The second one, in the second quarter, was the blow to the head that caused Love's concussion.

Booker got fined $5,818 for each play, which means $11,636 in total fines for the Bears player.

Bears linebacker D'Marco Jackson was also fined for unnecessary roughness (late hit) on Jordan Love in the first quarter, a $6,111 fine.

That shows the Bears' defense wasn't exactly playing a clean type of football against the Packers, and Love in particular, last week. It's frustrating for the Packers because the fines don't change the outcome of the game, and Love's absence for the final two and a half quarters was obviously key to defining how the game unfolded — with a Bears' overtime win over Green Bay.

Packers have suffered with late decisions

For two consecutive weeks, the NFL admitted mistakes against the Green Bay Packers after it’s too late to matter. After Week 14, it was Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden who was fined for an altercation after Keisean Nixon was flagged during the game.

In Week 15, Denver Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga was punished by the league and fined $11,593 for unnecessary roughness after a play. It was an obvious hit on Packers quarterback Jordan Love, but the refs didn’t call the penalty, which means Green Bay didn’t get the extra 15 yards and the automatic first down on the play.

In both instances, the fines proved the Packers should've gotten calls, but didn't during the games. At least in Austin Booker's case, the penalty was called.

This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Dec 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.