Lamar Jackson may face league discipline after shoving a Buffalo Bills supporter during Sunday night’s narrow 41-40 defeat in Orchard Park, an incident that raises questions about fines or a possible suspension for the quarterback.
The confrontation occurred in the third quarter after the Baltimore Ravens star connected with DeAndre Hopkins on a 29-yard touchdown pass before the wide receiver made a highlight-reel one-handed catch before joining teammates to celebrate.
They chose to go near the front row of Highmark Stadium and as the Ravens gathered, one fan leaned over the barrier and struck Hopkins on the helmet, before moments later the same individual also hit Jackson.
“A Bills fan hits DeAndre Hopkins and Lamar Jackson on the head and then Lamar shoves the fan in retaliation,” wrote Mr. Matthe CFB on X.com, formerly known as Twitter.
Lamar was far from impressed with the incident and the 28-year-old retailed by pushing the fan away from himself and his teammates as he explained his actions shortly after the game.
“I seen him slap D-Hop…. And then he slapped me,” Jackson said. “He’s talking, so I just forgot where I was for a little bit.
“You got to think in those situations, we got security out there, let security handle it. I let my emotion get the best of me. Hopefully it won’t happen again. I’ll learn from that.”
The NFL has strict rules governing player interactions with fans, and physical retaliation is a particularly sensitive issue and while Jackson’s response came after being provoked, the league office will still review the footage.
Past cases have shown that even justified reactions can lead to discipline, ranging from fines to short suspensions, depending on how the act is judged which is potentially bad news for Baltimore’s dual threat.
For the Ravens, any potential absence of Jackson would be devastating. He is central to their offense, and losing him, even for one game, could alter the trajectory of their season.
Who do the Baltimore Ravens play in Week 2: Date, time and where to watch?
Despite the controversy, the touchdown that sparked the confrontation had briefly placed Baltimore in command with a 34-19 lead.
However, the Ravens collapsed in the fourth quarter, allowing Buffalo to complete a stunning comeback.
The Ravens will attempt to regroup quickly as they prepare for their Week 2 matchup.
Baltimore is scheduled to face the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, September 15, with kickoff set for 13:00 ET/10:00 PT at M&T Bank Stadium.
The game will be nationally televised on CBS, giving Jackson and his team an immediate stage to reset after the controversy and late-game collapse in Buffalo.
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