The Chicago Bears found a way to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 9, even after turning the ball over five times.
Kicker Cairo Santos drilled a 38-yard field goal as time expired to seal a 27-24 win — the Bears’ fourth straight — and send them into their bye week with a 7-2 record.
But the victory came at a cost for two of their players.
On Saturday, the NFL fined rookie wide receiver Zavion Thomas $6,901 for unnecessary roughness (striking/kicking/kneeing). Defensive end Austin Booker was also fined $6,457 for unnecessary roughness (use of the helmet), according to the league’s weekly accountability report.
Both plays came in the second quarter.
Thomas’ Penalty Cost the Bears More Than Just 15 Yards
The fine might be the least of Thomas’ worries.
With the Bears up 14-3 and facing first-and-goal at the Tampa Bay 8-yard line, Thomas’ block on Buccaneers cornerback Jacob Parrish turned into him swatting at Parrish’s helmet well after the whistle. The flag pushed Chicago back to the 21.
On the very next play, quarterback Caleb Williams was intercepted by Keonte Scott, who returned it 23 yards. Pro Football Talk noted it was a play that wouldn’t have been called if the Bears were still at the 6.
Head coach Ben Johnson didn’t pull any punches when asked if he said anything to the rookie.
“Yeah, I don’t know that he played on offense after that,” Johnson said.
He didn’t. Thomas stayed on kickoff returns, but he never saw another offensive snap.
It was a rough night all around for the first-year wideout. Earlier in the game, a holding penalty on D’Marco Jackson wiped out what would have been a 92-yard kickoff return touchdown by Thomas.
And the production hasn’t been there to make up for it either. Thomas has played in all nine games but has just six catches for 41 yards. Now his bank account is $6,901 lighter too.
Austin Booker Can’t Shake the Use-of-Helmet Fines
Booker’s fine came with 30 seconds left in the first half as the Buccaneers drove for Chase McLaughlin’s 21-yard field goal as time expired.
Oh, and he was flagged for a facemask while sacking Baker Mayfield with 7:19 left in the fourth quarter. The league didn’t fine him for that one.
This is a familiar spot for the third-year pass-rusher. Booker was fined four times for unnecessary roughness in 2025, including twice in the Week 16 win over the Green Bay Packers.
Then the league hit him right in the checkbook in the playoffs, fining him $46,371 for using his helmet on a sack of Packers quarterback Jordan Love. That was the Bears’ biggest fine of the season.
Still, it’s hard to argue with what Booker has done on the field. He crashed down on multiple runs to blow them up before they got started against the Bucs. And he sacked Mayfield on a third-down stop in the second half.
That sack was his fifth of the season. That leads the team and is already half a sack more than he had all of last year.
2 Bears Players Pay the Price for What They Did vs. Buccaneers