The NFL will not punish Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson for an incident in which he was seen shoving a fan during his team's road loss to the Buffalo Bills Sunday (September 7) night.
The matter has been addressed by the club and there is no further action from the league," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy wrote in a statement obtained by ESPN on Thursday (September 11).
Jackson issued an apology to the fan during his media session on Wednesday, but also suggested, "Just chill next time. You can talk trash and stuff but keep your hands to yourself," via ESPN.
Jackson threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in the third quarter and both celebrated near the front row of Highmark Stadium. Jackson claims the fan, wearing a red Bills jersey, first hit Hopkins on the helmet and then did the same to him, at which point he retaliated with a two-handed shove that caused the fan to fall backward just before the fan was ejected from the stadium.
"He slapped me, and he was talking -- so, I just forgot where I was for a little bit," Jackson said after Sunday's game via ESPN. "You have to think in those situations. You have security out there; let security handle it. But I just let my emotions get the best of me.
"Hopefully, it doesn't happen again. I learned from that."
The two-time Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player said the incident wasn't common and wouldn't lead to him staying away from the fan areas in upcoming games.
"I've never seen our fans do that," Jackson said via ESPN. "So, I'll probably do it again when we score a touchdown. It's not nothing against the fans. I'm just celebrating when my teammates get a touchdown."
Jackson threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns on 14 of 19 passing, while also recording 70 yards and one touchdown on six rushing attempts. The Ravens had a 40-25 lead in the fourth quarter, but allowed 17 unanswered points in the final 3:56 minutes of play.