Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh said the NFL hasn’t contacted the team about Lamar Jackson shoving a fan who slapped the top of his helmet and did the same to DeAndre Hopkins after they connected for a touchdown in a loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night.
Jackson said postgame his emotions got the best of him when he followed Hopkins to the bench on a circuitous route celebrating their touchdown 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 shoved the fan in the chest with two hands.
“I have not heard from the league,” Harbaugh said Monday afternoon, recounting the moment from what ended in a 41-40 loss at Buffalo.
Representatives from the league and the Bills confirmed to multiple outlets Monday that the fan was banned indefinitely not only from Buffalo’s Highmark Stadium, but from all NFL stadiums.
“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.”
The score with 1:09 remaining in the third quarter but the Ravens ahead 33-19. Hopkins caught the pass one-handed as he slipped past double coverage by the Bills.
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.
“I let my emotions get the best of me,” Jackson said Sunday night. “I’ll learn from that.”
Reigning 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 took notice of 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.”
