# Ben Johnson benched Zavion Thomas

> Bears coach Ben Johnson benched wide receiver Zavion Thomas after 15-yard penalty.
- Title: Ben Johnson benched Zavion Thomas · NBC Sports | Shortify
- Summary: Bears coach Ben Johnson benched wide receiver Zavion Thomas after 15-yard penalty.
- Keywords: ben johnson, zavion thomas, bears, buccaneers, unnecessary roughness, 15-yard penalty, NBC Sports
- Source: NBC Sports — https://nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/ben-johnson-benched-zavion-thomas-after-15-yard-penalty
- Published: 2026-11-09T16:36:25.365+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: ben johnson, zavion thomas, bears, buccaneers, unnecessary roughness, 15-yard penalty, sports
## Ben Johnson benched Zavion Thomas
Bears rookie wide receiver Zavion Thomas hasn’t had much production this season and may have even less after coach Ben Johnson benched him during Sunday night’s win over the Buccaneers.
## 15-yard penalty incident
In the second quarter, Thomas got into a shoving match with Buccaneers cornerback Jacob Parrish and was flagged for unnecessary roughness, moving the Bears back to the 21-yard line.
## Interception play
On the next play, Caleb Williams threw an interception that wouldn’t have been called if the Bears were still at the 6-yard line.
## Johnson’s response
Johnson said he didn’t know if Thomas played on offense after the incident, but he wouldn’t be returning to the game on offense.
## Reason for benching
Johnson wanted Thomas to know he wasn’t good enough to get away with committing 15-yard penalties.
## Key takeaway

Bears coach Ben Johnson benched Zavion Thomas after he committed a 15-yard penalty in Sunday's game.