If you’re fed up with the penalty problems plaguing your favorite football team right now, just know that you are not alone and that Chicago Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson is right there with you.
When discussing the penalty issues on ESPN 1000-AM, this is what the first-year head coach had to say:
"We're here as coaches, we're gonna help support these guys & be along with them…but it would go a long way if we just had a little bit more ownership in that locker room to take the bull by the horns so we do get this cleaned up."Ben Johnson on @ESPN1000 regarding penalties— Brendan Sugrue (@BrendanSugrue) October 27, 2025
Oof. That is a cold, hard truth that Ben Johnson dishes out in the quote above. And I hope it is one Bears players are open to dealing with head on, because this is a straight-up call out by the first-year head coach.
And for what it’s worth, it is one that I am 100 percent here for because I am ready to watch a team that isn’t constantly tripping over its own two feet thanks to self-inflicted issues with penalties. Line up in the right place. Make sure your teammate is in the right place, too. Know the play call and when it is go time. Make sure the man next to you knows, too. The players on this team need to show accountability — for themselves and each other.
For more from Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson, you can check out more here:
Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson is passing the baton to his team’s captains in hopes they can fix the penalty problems
This site that tracks NFL penalties is one I’ve had bookmarked for a while. Unfortunately, I use it far more often than I’d care to admit because the Bears have been a selfish and undisciplined football team more often than not since we began as a website in 2017. As for the 2025 Bears, these are some notable penalty stats worth sharing:
Penalties against: 64 (tied-5th most)
Penalty yards: 533 (4th most)
Penalties called in road games: 36 (tied-2nd most)
The numbers above are not going to stop conspiracy theorists among Bears fans who are convinced that someone in the league offices is out to get their favorite team. And I don’t imagine the next data set will help either:
False start penalties: The Bears are the worst offender at 2.286 per game and are tied for the most (16)
Roughing the passer: The Bears are the worst offender here, too, with a league-high 5.
Chop block and low block: The Bears are the worst offender here … again. Sigh.
And to really drive it home, these social media posts from the Bears and NFL beats are eye opening:
The Bears had 11 penalties today, their third game of the season with 10+ penalties.
They haven't had at least three games with double-digit penalties since 2019, and it's only Week 8.— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 5:16 PM
The Bears penalty differential of 28 is worst thru 7 games since at least 2000. The penalty yards differential of 279 is 2nd worst since 2000 (2020 Saints were at 310) https://t.co/uHa33MfNMz— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) October 27, 2025
BEARS 24-HOUR RULE: IT’S ALL PART OF THE PROCESS
I am soooooo tired of all the penalties. And so is Ben Johnson. The amount of laundry we see on the field weekly is unacceptable. And while it wasn’t unexpected after a summer of trying to iron out the kinks that come with a new coaching staff, scheme, and system, we are set to enter Week 9 and are still watching a squad dealing with the same penalty issues it was dealing with during training camp and the preseason. Early-season issues aren’t abnormal. But the Bears aren’t good enough to allow this to happen moving forward.
What is the most frustrating about this is that there isn’t a quick and easy fix. I suppose that the quickest and easiest fix would be to simply stop committing penalties. But if it was that easy, then Ben Johnson probably would have done that by now. I can’t shake the feeling that the best way to get players to be better is if they are holding themselves and each other accountable. Does anyone else have ideas? I’m open to pretty much anything.
In the end, my biggest takeaway from Ben Johnson’s message is that he is ready for his leaders to step up, take the baton, run with it, and lead the Bears to some prosperous times. There is only so much a coach can do for his players when it comes to leading. At some point, the best players tend to lead. Whether it is by example or with their voice makes no difference to me. Ultimately, the Bears need their top players to set a course moving forward and forge through. Full stop.
Sep 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson looks on from the sideline during the second half against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
