Akiem Hicks had funny reaction to Bears’ latest taunting penalty

The Chicago Bears have wound up on the wrong end of a lot of taunting flags this season, and Akiem Hicks has had enough of it.

After the Bears essentially clinched a win Sunday by stopping the Seattle Seahawks on fourth down late in the fourth quarter, Chicago linebacker Bruce Irvin was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. Irvin was flagged for apparently saying something in the direction of the Seattle sideline. The flag didn’t cost the Bears, as it happened after the fourth down play was over.

That didn’t stop the criticism of what some saw as another overzealous taunting call. Defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, who missed Sunday’s game while on the COVID/Reserve list, sent a funny reaction on social media to the flag.

“Taunting” I swear you would think a guy was out there like this pic.twitter.com/D0hSLHwWrQ

— akiem hicks (@The_Dream99) December 27, 2021

A number of players have had difficulty adapting to the NFL’s new normal in terms of taunting flags. The Bears were on the wrong end of arguably the biggest controversy earlier in the season. Hicks may have a point here, but he and everyone else will just have to get used to it.

Photo: Aug 20, 2020; Lake Forest, Ilinois, USA; Chicago Bears defensive tackle Akiem Hicks (96) arrives on the field for the training camp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports