ORCHARD PARK, NY — As if beating the Buffalo Bills wasn’t tough enough, Lamar Jackson also tangled with an unruly fan at Highmark Stadium who apparently crossed the line.
After the unidentified fan struck Jackson and teammate DeAndre Hopkins as they celebrated a third-quarter touchdown near the stands on Sunday night, the Baltimore Ravens’ star quarterback retaliated with a two-handed shove that could draw attention from the NFL.
“He slapped me,” Jackson said during his postgame news conference following a stunning 41-40 defeat. “He was steadily talking. So, I forgot where I was.”
Although the fan was ejected from the game, Jackson seemed to regret his response.
“You’ve got to think in those situations,” he said. “You’ve got security out there. Let security handle it. But I just let my emotion get the best of me. Hopefully, it’ll never happen again.”
In the locker room afterward, Jackson indicated that he didn’t recall exactly what the fan said as the players headed from the end zone to the Ravens’ bench, celebrating close to the stands after Hopkins scored on a 29-yard touchdown reception.
“If I remembered, I would have told y’all,” Jackson told USA TODAY Sports. “He probably had a couple of beers.”
All told, it was one more episode from what turned into a disastrous night for the Ravens.
Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on social media: On X: @JarrettBell
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