Chicago Bears defensive end Austin Booker said he has been fined $5,000 apiece for two roughing-the-passer penalties he was issued during Saturday’s 22-16 overtime win over the Green Bay Packers.
“I did get a fine, but we’ll see what they say on the appeal,” Booker told the Tribune on Wednesday.
He said he believes it’ll take about a week to receive a ruling on his appeal.
Booker was flagged for roughing the passer on the Packers’ third offensive play of the game, when quarterback Jordan Love threw incomplete to Romeo Doubs on third-and-1 from the Bears 44-yard line.
Then, in the second quarter, on first-and-10 from the Packers 17, Booker was penalized a second rough-the-passer for making head-on, helmet-to-helmet contact with Love.
Love left the game and didn’t return. He was placed in concussion protocol and appeared on Tuesday’s estimated report with a left shoulder injury and concussion.
On replays of the second sack attempt, it appeared that Love lowered his head just as Booker was striking, which Booker suggested should’ve been a mitigating factor.
“One hundred percent,” he said. “The first one I’ll take full responsibility for. Like, I landed on him, I should have braced myself more.
“But I think the second one could definitely go both ways.”
Bears coach Ben Johnson said Monday: “That’s 100% a flag where he ends up getting concussed, and that’s not what anybody wants. But at the same time that one is a more difficult one to coach just from a technique perspective just because we’re trying to go after the quarterback and it’s a bang-bang play like that.”
Booker agreed Wednesday.
“I’m just a physical player, too, and I was just trying to play fast,” he said. “And things happen quick and sometimes stuff happens. But the first one I can definitely make (it) not happen, because it’s a lot of (lost) field position, for sure. … But the second one, I feel like I was playing hard, playing fast and things happened how they did.”
Booker added later: “At the same time, I know the significance of (a 15-yard penalty), and I’m going to try to clean (it) up for next game.”