NFL Makes Decision on Whether to Punish Lamar Jackson for Shoving Bills Fan

The Ravens quarterback was shoved by a Bills fan after the team scored a touchdown.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson will not be fined by the NFL after he shoved a Bills fan in a heated interaction.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson will not be fined by the NFL after he shoved a Bills fan in a heated interaction. / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

After Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was involved in an incident with a Bills fan after Baltimore scored a touchdown in the third quarter of Sunday night's game vs. Buffalo, it was unknown whether the NFL would punish the former MVP for his actions, though serious discipline was not expected. The league's official came down on Thursday afternoon.

The NFL has announced that it will not be fining or punishing Jackson for shoving the Bills fan. The fan has since been banned from all NFL stadiums for his actions.

The Ravens are still working on the matter internally, but it doesn't sound like he will be punished by the team, either.

The incident occurred after Ravens wideout DeAndre Hopkins was celebrating a touchdown catch with his teammates in the end zone near a section of Buffalo fans in the stands. The Bills fan reached out and slapped Hopkins and Jackson on the helmet as they walked past, prompting Jackson to immediately turn around and shove him. Jackson has since apologized publicly to the fan.

The quarterback has since acknowledged that if something like this were to happen in the future, he would handle the situation differently, while also offering advice to the fan: "Just chill next time. You can trash-talk and stuff, but keep your hands to yourself."

It was a devastating loss for Baltimore to open up their 2025 season. The Bills came back and won 41–40 thanks to a last-second field goal. The Ravens will play their home opener on Sunday against AFC North rival the Browns.


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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.