Chicago Bears defensive end Austin Booker was fined more than $11,000 on Saturday for his hits that resulted in Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love entering concussion protocol.
The NFL fined Booker $11,636 on Saturday for two illegal hits on Love in their 22-16 comeback win over the Packers last weekend. The second hit, a helmet-to-helmet shot, sent Love out of the game.
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Booker flew into the backfield and drilled Love directly in the helmet as he brought him down for a sack in the second quarter of that contest at Soldier FIeld. He was immediately penalized for the hit in the game, too.
Love remained down after the hit, and eventually walked off into the blue medical tent. He didn’t return, and was replaced by Malik Willis the rest of the way. Love is still in concussion protocol, and has been ruled out of Saturday night’s game against the Baltimore Ravens as a result.
Willis went 9-of-11 for 121 yards with a touchdown in Love’s absence against the Bears, though Chicago rallied from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to grab the win in overtime. That extended their lead in the NFC North. They’ll win the division if the Ravens beat the Packers on Saturday night, too, which will secure the team’s first divisional title since 2018.
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The Packers, who will wrap up the season with the Minnesota Vikings next week, can still win the NFC North. They’ll have to be perfect the rest of the way, however, and the Bears will have to lose out.
Booker has 29 total tackles and 2.5 sacks so far this season, both of which are career-highs for the 23-year-old. The Bears selected him in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Kansas.
The Bears will take on the San Francisco 49ers next on Sunday night. They’ll enter that contest with an 11-4 record and an outside shot at securing the No. 1 seed in the NFC. That’s something the franchise hasn’t pulled off since 2006. Chicago will then wrap up the regular season against the Detroit Lions next weekend.
