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Does the NFL unfairly penalize the Chicago Bears?
Is there something called the “Bears Tax?”
It was a question I never even considered before yesterday, when I compiled total penalty yardage called on opponents in 2025 games.
Bears opponents had a total of 678 penalty yards across 17 games.
Fewest of any team in the NFL.
The NFL average was 871 penalty yards.
Nearly 200 more yards.
After I posted the data for all 32 teams and the nugget on the Bears, I was inundated with Bears fans complaining about the “Bears tax.”
Tax Relief for Bears Fans
I write more about the impact of these penalties in the Bears chapter of my 2026 Football Preview book
I also cover penalties league-wide, along with which teams have been hurt or helped most
To provide relief for Bears fans who have been taxed for years -> use code BEARSTAXRELIEF to save $5 off the 500+ page 2026 Preview Book.
Pre-order the 2026 Football Preview now!
What Is the Bears Tax?
I had never heard of the term.
“Bears tax”
Apparently, for some time, a contingent of the Bears fanbase has been upset with the way the NFL calls Bears games and unfairly penalizes the team.
And the opposite is true of their opponents.
So I dug into it.
The results in recent years certainly do not dispel the conspiracy theory of a “Bears tax.”
Bears Opponents Ranked Last in Penalty Yards: A Four-Year Pattern
Over the last four years, having very few penalties called on their opponents has been the standard for Chicago.
Bears opponent’s rank penalty yards:
2025: #1 fewest
2024: #7 fewest
2023: #1 fewest
2022: #1 fewest
And over the last four years combined:
Bears rank in penalty yards called against opponents?
#1 fewest
Bears rank in penalties called against opponents?
#1 fewest
But it’s not just infrequent penalties called against opponents.
There’s also this:
First downs awarded TO THE BEARS via penalties called on opponents?
#1 fewest
The combination of the #1 fewest penalties called on opponents, along with the #1 fewest first downs given to the Bears offense because of opponents, leads to this wild stat:
net penalty yards since 2022:
-795 – Chicago Bears
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-584 – New York Jets
-507 – Tennessee Titans
-454 – New England Patriots
-416 – Baltimore Ravens
-356 – Denver Broncos
-307 – Kansas City Chiefs
-276 – Arizona Cardinals
-268 – Houston Texans
-234 – Philadelphia…— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) May 8, 2026
No team is close to the amount of net penalty yards to the detriment of their team like the Chicago Bears.
Let’s discuss a few other penalty nuggets to include that provide more details over these last four years.
Opponent roughing the passer penalties on Bears QBs:
7 total, fewest in NFL
Bears penalties on roughing the opponent’s QB:
17 total, #2 most in NFL
Total first downs awarded via penalty:
Bears offense?
Fewest first downs via penalty in NFL
Opponent offenses when playing the Bears?
#4 most first downs via penalty in NFL
And a few more, just for good measure:
- Opponent DPI penalties when playing the Bears: #1 fewest in NFL
- Opponent roughing the passer penalties when playing the Bears: #2 fewest in NFL
- Opponent unnecessary roughness penalties when playing the Bears: #3 fewest in NFL
- Opponent offensive holding penalties when playing the Bears: #4 fewest in NFL
