The NFL has announced its punishment for the San Francisco 49ers player who fouled Chicago Bears rookie tight end Colston Loveland in Week 17’s game.
According to the January 3 update to the NFL’s Gameday Accountability website, the league issued a $5,447 fine to 49ers linebacker Tatum Bethune for the unnecessary roughness penalty he drew in the fourth quarter when he grabbed Loveland’s facemask.
The Bears actually benefited from Bethune’s facemask, as it wiped out Kyle Monangai’s 1-yard run on 2nd-and-11 and handed them a fresh set of downs instead of a third-and-long situation. While they were unable to capitalize with a touchdown, they did move about 10 yards further to set up an easier 29-yard field goal from veteran Cairo Santos.
The league did not fine any other players from the 49ers’ 42-38 win over the Bears.
Bears Fell Just Short of Another Comeback vs. 49ers
The Bears did not prevail against the 49ers under the Sunday Night Football lights in Week 17, but they are certainly making a habit of taking things down to the wire.
After trading blows with the 49ers all night, the Bears took a three-point lead late in the fourth quarter when Santos booted through his 29-yard field goal. Unfortunately, their defense could not contain the 49ers on the following drive, allowing them to march 75 yards downfield in roughly three minutes to score a go-ahead touchdown.
Even still, the Bears put themselves in a position to complete their seventh fourth-quarter comeback of the 2025 season, getting as close as San Francisco’s 2-yard line before falling short on their final passing play and losing their shot at the No. 1 seed.
On the encouraging side, the Bears made another loud statement that they belong in contention on the NFC’s side of the playoff bracket. They showed, once again, that they are capable of hanging with the toughest teams in their conference at the right time.
Now, it’s just a matter of finalizing their first-round opponent in Week 18’s games.
Colston Loveland Has Emerged as Star for Bears Offense
The Bears made a bold move when they selected Loveland with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, surprising analysts and fans not only with their positional focus but also with their decision to draft Loveland over Penn State standout Tyler Warren.
The risk, however, seems to have paid off already.
While a bit of injury trouble slowed him early in the season, Loveland broke out with his six-catch, 118-yard performance against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9, scoring two touchdowns in the 47-42 victory. Since then, he has maintained a consistent role, receiving at least four targets per game and hauling in three more touchdown passes.
The Bears only seem to be trusting Loveland more, too, throwing his way a career-high 10 times against the Niners. He is up to 48 catches for 622 yards and five touchdowns on the season and has one more game to play against the Detroit Lions in Week 18.
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