NFL news: Bears’ CJ Gardner-Johnson upset with crucial penalty
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Chicago Bears linebacker CJ Gardner-Johnson complained about the penalty he was awarded in the second quarter against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night.
The Bears and 49ers were in the middle of an intense matchup. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy took a snap from the Bears’ 7-yard line and threw the ball to Ricky Pearsall. Gardner-Johnson intercepted the pass, resulting in a crucial turnover.
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Chicago Bears receiver CJ Gardner-Johnson #35 reacts after a play during the second quarter of the NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on December 28, 2025. (Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
However, Gardner-Johnson appeared to put his hands on Pearsall’s face during the lunge. The penalty negated the turnover, and Purdy scored on a 3-yard run two plays later. The 49ers entered the first half leading 28-21. San Francisco won the game 42-38.
“BS call smh,” he wrote to X.
Gardner-Johnson finished the loss with five tackles and a pass breakup.
Purdy’s rushing touchdown was one of his five on the night. He had three passing touchdowns and two rushing scores.
49ERS STOPPED THE BEARS TO KEEP THE NUMBER. BROCK PURDY HOPE 1 SEED LIFE AS HE HAD 5 TOTALS IN EARNINGS
Chicago Bears linebacker TJ Edwards (53) is congratulated by teammates after returning an interception for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Santa Clara, California. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
The Bears became the second team in the Super Bowl era to lose a regular-season game by scoring at least 25 points, scoring a defensive touchdown and not turning the ball over.
“When you go up against a dynamic offense like that, you talk to them about the possibility of going tit-for-tat and sometimes we can take that call,” Bears head coach Ben Johnson said. “They ended up playing more games than us.”
Purdy threw a pick-six to TJ Edwards on the first drive of the game.
Luckily, Chicago clinched the NFC North title on Saturday thanks to the Green Bay Packers’ loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Bears captured the league championship for the first time since 2018. Chicago will be making its first playoff appearance since 2020, when they went 8-8.
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The Bears haven’t won a playoff game since the 2010 season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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