Chicago Bears wide receiver Anthony Miller was ejected from Sunday's match against the New Orleans Saints in the third quarter after shoving safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Despite officials levying unsportsmanlike penalties on both players for their involvement in the scuffle, the referees chose only to eject Miller.

(Video via NFL reporter Dov Kleiman)

While it is unclear precisely what Gardner-Johnson said to Miller as the two walked back towards the middle of the field following the previous play's conclusion, the confrontation was not unexpected given the tension between Chicago's wide receivers and the New Orleans secondary.

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During their game in Week 8 of the NFL regular season,Ā  Gardner-Johnson and the Bears pass-catcher Javon Wims exchanged punches that eventually led to both sidelines engaging in an all-out brawl. While it is not entirely unusual to see such fights break out in the heat of a match, it was the safety's message on Instagram following the gameā€”in which he claimed that Wims punched ā€œlike a femaleā€ā€”that cemented the rivalry. Adding to the era of bad feelings, Miller claimed not to know who Gardner-Johnson was when asked to comment about the rematch.

Though NFL guidelines do not expressly mandate an ejection in those situations in which a player shoves or throws a punch, officials have begun operating with a zero-tolerance attitude towards such instances. In particular Sunday, it is highly likely that the referees were aware of the tension between the two clubs and sought Miller's ejection as a means of short-circuiting any further fighting.

Unfortunately for the Bears, the fight was the only fireworks the team has managed on the offensive side of the football. With the fourth quarter winding down, the Saints hold a double-digit lead.