There were plenty of fireworks in the Chicago Bears' matchup with the Houston Texans on Sunday night, and those spilled over onto the internet after the game.
It started on a scramble from Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, who was hit hard out of bounds by Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.
The hit was not flagged, but the entire Bears sideline quickly took exception for what they perceived to be a dirty hit on their young signal-caller. And the tussle had only just begun,
Al-Shaair quickly got mixed up in a skirmish with several Chicago players, then blatantly threw a punch that connected with the facemask of Bears running back Roschon Johnson. It appeared the referees missed the punch, as flags once again stayed confined to pockets.
The Bears came out on the wrong end of the situation, as a penalthy could and should have given Chicago a crucial first down. After the game, in a since-deleted post on X, Johnson snapped back at the Texans enforcer.
"It took every bit of my soul not to thrash that boy," Johnson said.
Johnson was in uniform, but he wasn't active for the Bears, who have a crowded running back room with D'Andre Swift, Khalil Herbert, and Travis Homer. He appeared in 16 games for the Bears in 2023, rushing for 352 yards and two touchdowns on 81 carries.
Meanwhile, Al-Shaair could still be looking at a fine or suspension for the punch in the coming days.
Because the play was not flagged in real-time, it was not subject to video review. Now, though, the league office can assess its own punishment for the punch that clearly should have resulted in an ejection.
Johnson and the Bears did well not to get dragged into the fight, but it was Al-Shaair's Texans who got the last laugh on the scoreboard. Chicago must quickly shift its attention to its Week 3 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts to avoid falling below .500.
More NFL: Former first-overall pick blasts Bears coaches for failing to protect Caleb Williams
