Jahdae Walker got tossed from Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons early in the fourth quarter for head butting Falcons wide receiver Chris Blair on a kickoff. This wasn’t some minor infraction either, it was a full-on ejection, happening right after Chicago had gone up big, 31-7, thanks to a Cairo Santos field goal. Talk about killing your own momentum, even when you’re crushing it.
A Flag Too Far: The Bears’ Penalty Nightmare
Even though Chicago was absolutely outplaying Atlanta for most of the game, this ejection was just the cherry on top of a penalty sundae the Bears clearly didn’t order. ESPN’s Courtney Cronin reported this was their 12th penalty for a whopping 133 yards. Think about that: 12 penalties! That’s their most in a single game since way back in 2016. It’s not just a few minor mistakes either. A bunch of these flags, including multiple holdings and an offensive pass interference on Colston Loveland, straight up killed big offensive plays. Coach Ben Johnson’s got to be tearing his hair out over this stuff. He needs to get this cleaned up, pronto.
Not a Big Name, But Still a Costly Mistake
Now, Walker isn’t exactly the Bears’ biggest star. He’s a secondary receiver, sure, but he does play special teams, and he even scored a touchdown in their opener against the Carolina Panthers. Guys like Luther Burden III, Rome Odunze, Kalif Raymond, and tight end Colston Loveland are usually the ones seeing more targets when the Bears drop back to throw. Before this game, Walker only had that one catch for one yard and that touchdown from the Carolina win this season. Last season, he put up six catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns. So while he’s not a primary weapon, losing any player, especially when you’re already racking up flags like crazy, is a huge problem. Coach Johnson has a real mess on his hands, and that many flags, even in a game they were dominating, is a problem that’s gonna bite them hard eventually.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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