Getty Wide receiver Gabe Davis of the Buffalo Bills.
Emotions were high when the Buffalo Bills fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in their divisional-round playoff game on January 21, and things got a bit ugly on the sidelines during the closing seconds.
Video circulating on social media shows Bills receiver Gabe Davis getting into a shouting match with a fan who was lobbing insults at the injured wideout before a teammate stepped in and ushered Davis away. Davis had missed the past two games with an injury, and could be reaching the end of his time in Buffalo as his rookie contract is set to expire.
Fans Take Aim at Davis
The video shared on X did not show the beginning of the confrontation, starting with an angry Davis yelling at a fan and the fan shouting insults back at him.
“You can’t even run a route right,” the person could be heard shouting. “Get the f**k outta here.”
Ya gabe Davis outta here, went at it with the fans…
Video credit: @One_day52
Davis continued to engage with the fan as tight end Dawson Knox tried to direct him away and toward the field, where both teams were meeting at the conclusion of the game. Davis broke away at first and continued to yell toward the fan before fellow tight end Quintin Morris was able to lead him away.
The confrontation led to some criticism both toward the fan and Davis, with some fans saying that players need to ignore the abuse from fans and not engage. Others defended the Bills receiver, saying the fan was out of line.
This is not the first time that Bills players have gotten into some hot water after engaging with fans on the sidelines during a game. Back in November, defensive linemen Shaq Lawson and Jordan Phillips were seen shouting toward a Philadelphia Eagles fan during a road game with Lawson shoving the fan.
Lawson later apologized, claiming that the fan had made threatening remarks toward them.
“Those of you who know me know that I’m all about the fans, and I have a lot of respect for the game I play and my opponents,” Lawson wrote, via ESPN. “Before the game started yesterday, there was a fan behind our bench, who was making life threatening remarks towards us and our families. We asked Philadelphia security to remove the fan, but he was allowed to stay for the entire game. Eventually, our emotions boiled over, and I made a mistake. For that, I apologize, but there are certain lines that should not be crossed.”
The Buffalo News reported that the team fined Lawson an undisclosed sum for his role in the confrontation. It is unclear if Davis could face similar discipline from the team.
Gabe Davis Faces Uncertain Future
After a four-touchdown game against the Chiefs in the 2021 playoffs, many had hopes that Davis would emerge as a top wide receiver alongside Stefon Diggs. While he produced two more productive seasons after that, Davis also struggled with inconsistent play and had no catches in four of his final eight games of the season.
As Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk noted, Davis told reporters this week that he wants to test free agency.
“Davis told reporters in the Bills’ locker room today that he expects to see what other teams are ready to offer him when free agency begins in March before he makes any decisions about where he’s playing in 2024 and beyond,” the report noted. “Although Davis said he remains open to staying in Buffalo, he wants to know what else is out there.”