Getty Shaw Lawson reacts to a play in a Buffalo Bills game.
The Buffalo Bills are investigating after a video appeared to show two players confronting and shoving a fan during a tense interaction during Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Video showed defensive tackle Jordan Phillips and defensive end Shaq Lawson shouting at a fan seated near the field during the first quarter of the November 26. One of the Bills players appeared to shove the Eagles fan before on-field security separated them.
My view of the interaction between Jordan Phillips, Shaq Lawson and Eagles fans behind the Bills bench.
A Bills spokesperson tells us they are looking into the incident
Dan Fetes, a Bills beat reporter with 13WHAM, shared video of the confrontation and reported that the team was investigating the incident.
“My view of the interaction between Jordan Phillips, Shaq Lawson and Eagles fans behind the Bills bench. A Bills spokesperson tells us they are looking into the incident,” Fetes wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Jordan Phillips Says Fan Threatened Family
Phillips took to Instagram to shed some light on the incident, saying he has no problem with rowdy fans but claiming that the one in question had threatened his family.
“I love the crowd I love rowdy fans it makes the game fun,” Phillips wrote. “But one thing I’m not going to tolerate is someone threatening me or my family. This is a line that shouldn’t be crossed.”
There were several Bills involved in the confrontation, and Charles Curtis of USA Today’s For the Win reported that it was Lawson who appeared to put his hands on the fan.
“The video shows fellow defender Jordan Phillips walking up to the stands to get in the face of the fan. Phillips is surrounded by Lawson, Ed Oliver and Greg Rousseau, and at one point, Lawson apparently shoves the fan before the group walked away,” Curtis wrote.
Eagles fan Becca Cavalier, who saw sitting nearby and also captured video of the confrontation, told the Buffalo News that the fan and Phillips had been yelling at each other prior to the confrontation.
“I’m not sure exactly what happened that led to them all coming over,” she said. “[Phillips] and the fan in the video were chirping at each other a lot the whole game, but I couldn’t really hear what was being said.”
Punishment Could Loom for Bills Players
The Bills players involved in the sideline confrontation could face action from the NFL. The league has cracked down on player conduct, especially during games, and a league source told the Philadelphia Inquirer that the players involved could face a fine or possible suspension as it went beyond other recent testy interactions between players and fans.
“Contacted late Sunday by The Inquirer, an NFL source said that Lawson likely would be fined and probably suspended,” the report noted. “Three recent incidents involving players verbally exchanging threats and insults did not result in fines or suspensions, but they didn’t involve any shoving or striking, either.”
The Bills had not yet issued a statement on the incident, and did not respond to a request for comment from the Inquirer. The Bills lost the game 37-34, losing leads both in the fourth quarter and overtime to drop to 6-6.
Comments
Bills Investigating Viral Video Showing Shaq Lawson Shove Fan: Insider