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Unpenalized Helmet-to-Helmet Hit on Drake Maye Draws Potential NFL Fine
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- Unpenalized Helmet-to-Helmet Hit on Drake Maye Draws Potential NFL Fine
Chicago Bears defensive back Clark Phillips III could face a fine after his hit on New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye in Week 7.
The Bears recorded their fifth win of the season after a 30-24 victory over the Patriots at Soldier Field on Thursday Night Football.
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Maye did his best to carry the team's offense , completing 24 of 31 passes for 321 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
But it wasn't enough, and the team suffered its third defeat of the season. Meanwhile, Chicago QB Caleb Williams led his team to victory by completing 22 of 33 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns.
Maye took a helmet-to-helmet hit from Bears DB Phillips on second-and-goal from the seven-yard line. The incident occurred with 11:33 remaining in the second quarter.
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Officials initially ruled Maye short of the goal line., but Patriots coach Mike Vrabel challenged the call. Upon review, the call on the field was overturned and New England was awarded a touchdown.
However, officials called no penalty on the play against Phillips despite the Bears DB making helmet-to-helmet contact. Nevertheless, the 24-year-old could still face an NFL fine after the contentious incident.
According to Rule 12, Section 2, Article 10 of the 2026 NFL rulebook , "it is a foul if a player: (a) lowers his head and makes forcible contact with his helmet against an opponent; or (b) uses any part of his helmet or facemask to butt or make forcible contact to an opponent's head or neck area."
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Under the 2026 NFL fines schedule , the fine for impermissible use of helmet/launching is $23,882 for a first offense and $47,762 for a second offense.
Phillips and the Bears will now await the league's official decision, which will likely be released in the weekly accountability report on Saturday afternoon.
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This story was originally published by Athlon on Oct 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
