Bears' Lack of Penalties Shows Growth in Ben Johnson's Coaching Staff

The Chicago Bears did something in Saturday's 34-10 preseason win over the Cleveland Browns that didn't happen all last season. 

Head coach Ben Johnson's team committed only two penalties. The Bears were flagged for a season-low three penalties in the Week 9 win over the New York Giants at Soldier Field. Although it was just a preseason game, Johnson's team showed discipline, playing a clean brand of football. 

That was one of the takeaways for the second-year head coach. 

"Proud of our guys and how they played," Johnson said. "We talked about being disciplined in all three phases, and we really saw that today. Two penalties on the day from all three phases. We haven’t had a practice yet with that few of fouls. That was really encouraging to see, they took that to heart. I don’t know if I’ve been part of a preseason where that’s been the case in my career, so credit to them."

Johnson hasn't been a part of a preseason game with that few penalties since joining the Bears. 

[READ: Five Bears Whose Stock Went Up or Down in NFL Preseason Win vs. Browns]

Rookie cornerback Malik Muhammad committed the Bears' first penalty with 1:52 left in the second quarter. He was flagged for holding. Tight end Qadir Ismail was called for a false start after Chicago took a timeout with 12:44 left in the game. 

According to statmuse, the Bears committed 120 penalties in the 2025 regular season -- sixth-most in the NFL. In the Week 1 loss against the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field, the Bears were flagged a season-high 12 times. As the season progressed, the Bears became more disciplined. In four of the final six games of the regular season, the team committed four penalties. 

The last time the Bears played a football game before Saturday was against the Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 18. Rust is definitely a factor for everyone, regardless of experience.

Despite both teams resting key starters and running basic game plans, the Bears played nearly penalty-free football in their preseason matchup against the Browns. This highlights the coaching staff's ability to keep players disciplined and prepared. 

Johnson isn't shy about setting high standards for his football team. While the Bears built a strong foundation in year one under Johnson, a majority of backups played nearly mistake-free football in the preseason opener -- something that even the starters didn't pull off last season. This may be a subtle statement, but it does set a clear standard for the rest of the team as the 2026 regular season approaches.