Because they share their last name, it made sense that Chicago Bears edge rusher Daniel Hardy celebrated a Drake Maye sack by hitting WWE legend Jeff Hardy's iconic dance.
During the fourth quarter of the Bears' win over the New England Patriots, Maye was sacked by Hardy. Afterward, he started hitting Jeff Hardy's iconic taunt, flailing his arms in rhythm.
The sack was a big moment. The Patriots were down six points and were nearing midfield. This caused a third-and-long for New England.
Ultimately, the Patriots punted two plays later after the sack. It was a quick three-and-out for the offense. Caleb Williams and the Bears' offense took over, going on a 12-play, 51-yard drive that ended in a field goal after almost five minutes.
The Patriots did score again, kicking a field goal, but the Bears hung on to win 30-24, improving to 5-2. Meanwhile, New England fell to 4-3 and are 1-3 on the road this year
Hardy got a half sack for his efforts (splitting it with Dillon Thieneman). He has been on a little bit of a hot streak, logging his only solo sack of the year a few days earlier against the Atlanta Falcons and nearly forcing a fumble during it.
So far, Hardy has logged 10 total tackles (two solo and eight assisted) and 1.5 sacks. He also has a pass deflection. This is his third year with the Bears. He is coming off a career year with them in 2025, during which he logged a career-best 22 tackles (seven solo and 15 assisted).
Hardy is a former seventh-round pick out of Montana State by the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams picked him during the 2022 NFL Draft, but he was released in August 2023. The Bears then picked him up, signing him to the practice squad a couple of days later.