The Buffalo Bills fan who made contact with Baltimore Ravens players DeAndre Hopkins and Lamar Jackson during Sunday night’s game was banned indefinitely by the NFL.
Representatives from the league and the Bills confirmed to multiple outlets Monday that the fan was suspended from entering not only Buffalo’s Highmark Stadium, but all NFL stadiums.
Jackson said after the game that his emotions got the best of him while following Hopkins on a circuitous route to the bench celebrating their touchdown connection in the second half. A fan smacked Hopkins on the top of his helmet as he passed and tagged Jackson, too, before the two-time NFL MVP turned toward the stands and shoved the fan in the chest with two hands.
“I let my emotions get the best of me,” Jackson said Sunday night. “I’ll learn from that.”
The NFL will look into Jackson’s involvement in the scene, the Washington Post reported, and it’s up in the air whether he will be disciplined in any way.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh said “I have not heard from the league” about Jackson shoving the fan in what turned out to be a 41-40 loss to Buffalo.
The score with 1:09 remaining in the third quarter put the Ravens ahead 33-19. Hopkins caught the pass one-handed as he slipped past double coverage by the Bills.
“Lamar is down there celebrating a TD with your teammates just like you’re supposed to do,” Harbaugh said. “You score a TD, you probably shouldn’t have a frozen water bottle thrown at you either.”
Live video and screenshots of Bills fans throwing water bottles in the vicinity of running back Derrick Henry when he crossed the goal line earlier in the game created buzz on social media during and after the incident.
Reigning league MVP and Bills quarterback Josh Allen threw four touchdown passes and led a stirring comeback with 16 unanswered points in the final four minutes to close out the comeback — but he had time to notice fans hitting the exits.
“I think there’s people that left the stadium. That’s OK,” Allen said immediately after the game. “We’ll be fine. But have some faith next time.”
