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Referee Assignment for Bears vs. Rams is Bad News for Chicago

The referee assignment for the Bears' Week 4 showdown with the LA Rams is nothing short of bad news for Chicago.

By Devon Platana

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) warms up before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) warms up before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
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The time for dwelling on the Chicago Bear's Week 3 loss to the Indianapolis Colts is over. The Bears must turn their attention to the NFL Week 4 schedule as they prepare to host the LA Rams at Soldier Field on Sunday.

A lot of factors go into deciding the outcome of any given game, including when it comes to who's officiating the contest. While a referee's decision doesn't 100% decide an outcome, the way they officiate the game — good or bad — can play a big role in who wins and loses.

The referee for this weekend's Rams vs. Bears collision was revealed earlier this week and, unfortunately, it's bad news for Matt Eberflus' team.

Bears News: Week 4 Referee Assignment is Bad News for Chicago

Controversial referee Brad Rogers will be making the calls when the Bears host the Rams on Sunday, per Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune. The veteran official has earned a reputation for making more penalty calls than a good chunk of his peers.

During the 2024 NFL season, Rogers called a whopping 211 penalties across 18 games between the regular season and playoffs. That was the most penalties he's called since he tallied 242 during the 2018 campaign.

Rogers also averaged 12.4 penalties and 103.7 penalty yards per game, which were both noticeably above the league average. In fact, he's called more penalties than the average NFL referee in six of his first seven seasons.

While Rogers' penalty calls are below the league average in 2024, he still throwing out flags more often than fans like. Through the first three weeks, he's averaging 13 penalty calls per appearance — on pace for his most since 2019 — for an average of 102.6 yards.

The Bears are currently averaging the 6.7 penalties per game (T-18th) while the Rams have been slightly more disciplined (5.3, T-8th). If Chicago can't play a clean came and Rogers' habits continue, it might be a long day for fans in the Windy City.

Even if this weekend's referee assignment isn't the most encouraging, it isn't all bad news for Chicago. The Bears are still the current 3-point home favorites over the Rams on FanDuel Sportsbook.

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