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Chicago Bears defensive back CJ Gardner-Johnson complained about a penalty called on him 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 in what would have been a crucial turnover.
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CJ Gardner-Johnson #35 of the Chicago Bears reacts after a play during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on December 28, 2025 in Santa Clara, California. (Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
However, Gardner-Johnson appeared to put his hands on Pearsall’s face at the same time. The penalty negated the turnover and Purdy scored on a 3-yard run two plays later. The 49ers took a 28-21 halftime lead. San Francisco won the game 42-38.
“BS calls smh,” he wrote on X.
Gardner-Johnson finished with five tackles and an assist in the loss.
Purdy’s rushing touchdown was one of his five on the night. He had three passing touchdowns and two rushing scores.
49ERS HOLD OFF BEARS TO KEEP NO. 1 SEED OF HOPE ALIVE AS BROCK PURDY TOTALISTS 5 TOUCHDOWNS IN VICTORY
Chicago Bears linebacker TJ Edwards (53) is congratulated by his teammates after returning an interception for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
The Bears became the second team in the Super Bowl era to lose a regular season game when they scored at least 25 points, had a defensive touchdown and did not turn the ball over.
“When you go against a dynamic offense like that, you talk about the possibility of a tit-for-tat attack with them, and sometimes we can answer that call,” Bears head coach Ben Johnson said. “They ended up making more plays than us.”
Purdy threw a pick six to TJ Edwards on the first drive of the game.
Fortunately, Chicago won an NFC North title on Saturday thanks to the Green Bay Packers’ loss to the Baltimore Ravens. This is the first time the Bears have won a division title since 2018. Chicago will be making their first playoff appearance since 2020, where they went 8-8.
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The Bears haven’t won a playoff game since the 2010 season.
