When it comes to Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love and Chicago Bears defensive end Austin Booker, a pattern is clearly beginning to emerge.
The NFL smacked Booker with a fine of $46,371 for unnecessary roughness via the use of his helmet during a hit on Love in the second quarter of the Wild Card Round game between the two teams last weekend.
It was by far the largest retroactive financial penalty levied by the league against any player who participated during the opening weekend of the playoffs, per the NFL’s Office of Gameday Accountability.
NFL Has Now Fined Austin Booker 3 Times for Hits on Jordan Love This Season/Postseason
GettyDefensive end Austin Booker of the Chicago Bears.
One reason for the heftiness of the punishment is Booker’s history of illegal hits on Love just this year.
The league fined Booker twice for two separate hits on Love during the Week 16 meeting between the teams as Soldier Field, one of which resulted in a concussion for Love that knocked him out of the game late in the first half and kept him sidelined for the remainder of the regular season.
Both fines came in at the amount of $5,818. The first was for Booker landing on Love with his full body weight during a play in the first quarter. The second was a for a hit to the head/neck area.
Booker spoke about the fines during an interview with the Chicago Tribune in the days that followed.
“The first one I’ll take full responsibility for,” Booker said. “Like, I landed on him. I should have braced myself more. But I think the second one could definitely go both ways.”
Booker added that he felt Love was at least partially responsible for what happened on the second hit
“He ducked his head, and football plays happen,” Booker said. “If they want to [fine me], they can. Shoot, we’re just playing football.”
Jordan Love’s Exit, Packers’ Loss to Bears Changed Fabric of Playoffs
GettyGreen Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love.
Love’s exit from the contest in Week 16 arguably had a major impact on the outcome of not only that game but the season in general, as the Bears came back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter and won in overtime.
Chicago authored a comeback over the Packers in the playoffs after trailing by 18 points at halftime. The Bears were also down 11 points well into the fourth period but still ended up winning the game.
But if Love never leaves the Week 16 game due to a concussion, Green Bay may have won. If the Packers had won and Love had remained healthy down the stretch, they may have captured the NFC North Division instead of Chicago.
If Green Bay had won the division, they may not have played the Bears in the first round at all. But if the two teams had still met in Round 1, it would have been at Lambeau Field and not in the Windy City.
Those are a lot of ifs, and the Packers were in complete control against the Bears at Soldier Field last weekend. Furthermore, Love played exceptionally in the game despite missing two and a half weeks leading up to it, finishing the day with 323 passing yards and four touchdowns.
That said, there is no question that Booker’s hit on Love and the resulting injury altered the fabric of both the regular season and the playoffs where each team was concerned.
NFL Hammers Bears Player With Massive Fine for Illegal Play on Jordan Love