Until last week, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf had done an excellent job of avoiding some of the unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties he had frequently suffered in previous seasons.

Metcalf was fined $22,511 for his on-field scuffle with Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson just before the two-minute warning in the first half of Seattle’s 6-3 win over Chicago. There was an exchange of words, followed by a shove of the helmet and then a headbutt. Predictably, Metcalf drew two 15-yard penalties, but only one was counted.

The good news coming out of this game was that Seattle was able to overcome the penalty and score the game-winning field goal.

This is Metcalf’s second fine of the season, having previously lost $11,255 for an unnecessary roughing violation against the New York Giants. Metcalf suffered penalties in each of the first four weeks of the season (including two offensive pass interferences), but was not warned from Week 5 to Week 17.

At the very least, being fined just twice is a huge improvement compared to the six he handed out in 2023.

No one on the Bears was penalized for this incident, and it was the only fine for anyone on either team.