You’re Not Crazy: The Refs Really Do Hate The Chicago Bears

Fans, rejoice. Real data backs up the shouting at televisions, cussing in cars, booing at Soldier Field and angry posts on social media for years.

The refs really do have it out for the Chicago Bears.

Football savant and data analytics master Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis dove deep into the penalty yards against Chicago and against their opponents, and the results held true to what’s been known online as the “Bears tax.”

The Bears are at the bottom of the penalty yardage discrepancy. Both in terms of yards against them and yards called against their opponents.

From the article:

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

Which means Chicago’s net penalty yards (yards awarded to the Bears by penalty and those against) since 2022 is the highest in the league by over 200 yards.

It goes even further. Many fans have pointed out over the years the beatings taken by former quarterback Justin Fields and, more recently, by Caleb Williams, so it comes as no surprise the Bears have earned the fewest roughing the passer calls by opponents. But Chicago’s defense has been called for the most. A total of 7 called on the Bears’ opponents and 17 on Chicago’s defense.

Bears opponents also had the fewest DPI penalties, the third-fewest unnecessary roughness calls when facing Chicago and the fourth-fewest holding penalties (looking at you Green Bay!).

The whole article is fascinating and worth a look.

Do Bears fans have a real gripe? The numbers say they do.