The Week 1 matchup between the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers was a shootout for the first three quarters until the former started pulling away in the fourth quarter.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams went off for 269 yards passing, 65 yards rushing, and four total touchdowns (two passing, two rushing), outdueling former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, who threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns.
While the season-opening loss stings for Carolina, it hurts a little extra for one Panthers player whose bank account has significantly less money in it after Saturday.
The NFL announced that Panthers edge-rusher Derrick Brown was fined $17,911 for a hit on a quarterback (late hit) on Williams during the third quarter of Sunday’s game.
“I thought I was within one step,” Brown admitted. “But I mean, as I said, it was a bonehead move. Shouldn’t have done it.”
The 28-year-old Brown, who signed a four-year, $96 million with Carolina, acknowledged after the game that he personally made too many mistakes against the Bears, including his hit on Williams that ended up costing the Panthers a touchdown.
Derrick Brown Not Happy With Performance vs. Bears
“With my personal play, I made a lot of mistakes today,” Brown told reporters. “Not normal, won’t happen again, and, as I said, I told these guys in here I’m accountable to each and every single one of them. We get ready to go out here. Work all week and two bonehead plays like that that give us bad situations where they put 14 up on the board, you can’t have it.”
Brown also disclosed that he apologized to his teammates for not playing up to his standard in Week 1.
“I definitely talked to the defense about it. I’m going to be a leader on this team,” Brown said. “I don’t really give a s— what nobody else says outside of these walls, and I’m never going to change who I am for nobody.
“So these guys know what I’m about. They know what I’m capable of, and every single day when I show up here and I go to work, they’re going to get the best version of me.”





