NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” drew plenty of attention in Week 9 of the 2026 NFL season, but not just for the finish between the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Chicago came away with a 27-24 win in a game that went down to the final seconds, pushing the Bears to 7-2 while the Bucs fell to 3-6. The matchup itself had plenty of defensive drama, with Baker Mayfield intercepted twice and Caleb Williams picked off four times. But the pregame coverage sparked a separate wave of backlash after NBC did not show the national anthem before kickoff.
Fox News reported Monday that the anthem was skipped despite it being Veterans Day Week and Soldier Field serving as the venue. Instead, viewers saw NBC’s booth introduction with Cris Collinsworth and Noah Eagle, followed by a pregame interview with Caleb Williams and then an aerial shot of the field as flag bearers carried a folded field-sized American flag back into one of the stadium’s tunnels.
That decision set off a strong reaction on social media, including from people identifying themselves as veterans. “Why doesn’t NBC show the National Anthem!? It’s Sunday night Football,” one user wrote.
Another posted, “I’m waiting for NBC to release a statement.. I’m 69 years old so please don’t take too long 😴What a disgrace to our VETERANS AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” while another said, “Is the NFL taking their lead from the classless wnba?
The next thing you know both teams will have to run off the field into the tunnels before the national anthem starts. S-t entertainment,” another wrote.
The criticism kept coming. “It’s an insult to American Veteran,” one comment read.
“I am a US veteran and if I had known that they did not play the national anthem, I would have turned it off because it’s a slap in the face NBC! Well you have offended the people who this was supposed to be dedicated to!!!”
another person wrote.
NBC has not responded to the complaints as of writing.
In Other News...
Austin Booker Is Changing A Bears Deadline Decision Fast
Austin Booker has turned himself into a much more important part of the Bears' pass rush than anyone probably expected this time a few weeks ago. He has taken a clear step forward as a rusher, showing up in multiple defensive categories and reaching a career-high 5.0 sacks while carving out a bigger role in the rotation, even without being a full-time starter.
That kind of emergence matters because Chicago just added Jeffery Simmons, a move that should raise the floor of the entire front. With Simmons now in the mix and Booker trending up, the Bears suddenly have a different calculation to make as the deadline approaches, especially with a familiar name like Khalil Mack still hovering around the conversation. The question is no longer just whether Chicago can add help up front, but whether it still needs to chase it. [Read more 🡒]
Baker Mayfield Calls Out Bears After Chaotic Win Over Buccaneers
The Bears 27-24 win over the Buccaneers at Soldier Field on Nov. 8 had plenty of the usual chaos that comes with a tight NFC game, from multiple interceptions to Jaylon Johnsons 67-yard pick-six. Chicago also got the kind of late lift it has been chasing all season, with Cairo Santos delivering the finishing touch after a back-and-forth afternoon that never really settled into rhythm.
Baker Mayfields postgame comments added another layer to the mess, as he pointed to the false start problems that kept putting Tampa Bay behind the chains. Some of those issues were tied to the Bears defensive cadence, a detail that mattered in a game where every snap seemed to carry a little extra tension and every mistake had a way of swinging the momentum back toward Chicago. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylon Johnson Just Gave Bears Fans A New Reason To Hope
Jaylon Johnsons Week 9 showing against Tampa Bay gave the Bears exactly the kind of reminder they needed about what a true No. 1 corner can do. He was active throughout the afternoon, finishing with three tackles, a pass deflection and an interception while helping keep the Buccaneers from finding much rhythm against him in coverage.
The bigger question now is whether this was a one-game spike or a sign that Johnson is settling into the level Chicago has been waiting for. His latest outing came with some of the cleanest coverage he has shown all season, and it lands at a time when the Bears could still be weighing whether to add more help at cornerback before the trade deadline. [Read more 🡒]