A bizarre sideline confrontation during the New England Patriots’ blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars has taken another turn.
The staffer who clashed with Jaguars star Josh Hines-Allen over the football from Travis Hunter’s first NFL interception was working for the Patriots, according to multiple reports.
The Associated Press identified him as a Patriots ball boy in its account of the incident. NFL
New fan-shot footage has also surfaced showing another angle of the unusual exchange, which quickly went viral following Jacksonville’s 35-6 win over New England on Sunday.
It all started with a milestone moment for Hunter.
The Jaguars cornerback intercepted Patriots quarterback Drake Maye late in the second quarter, making a leaping grab in the end zone for the first interception of his NFL career.
Hunter spun the football on the turf before celebrating with his teammates, leaving the ball behind.
That’s when things got strange.
Josh Hines-Allen Tried to Retrieve Travis Hunter’s Interception Ball
The football was picked up by the Patriots ball boy, and Hines-Allen subsequently approached him in an apparent attempt to retrieve the keepsake for his teammate.
Video from the sideline showed the staffer holding onto the ball as Hines-Allen reached toward it. The two made contact, and the staffer could be heard repeatedly objecting.
“You can’t touch me,” the staffer said during the exchange.
Jacksonville equipment manager George Pellicer eventually stepped between the two as the confrontation continued.
The initial video attracted widespread attention after the game, but another fan-shot angle that surfaced afterward provided a different look at the entire sequence.
What initially looked like a strange confrontation between Hines-Allen and an unidentified game-day staffer now has a direct connection to the Patriots.
And the football at the center of all of it wasn’t just another game ball.
Hunter’s interception came at a pivotal point in the game. New England trailed 14-3 and was threatening to score late in the first half when Maye targeted Efton Chism III in the end zone.
Hunter made the interception and ended the Patriots’ scoring opportunity.
Jacksonville eventually turned the game into a rout, beating New England 35-6.
Jaguars Ultimately Got Travis Hunter’s Milestone Football
The strange sideline scene also left an obvious question: What happened to the ball?
Jaguars head coach Liam Coen addressed the situation Monday and said the teams had been in communication about getting the matter resolved.
“I think it’s all squared away,” Coen said. “We’ll get it taken care of.”
By Monday night, the issue had been resolved.
The Jaguars ultimately retrieved the football, allowing Hunter to keep the ball from the first interception of his NFL career.
NFL players are permitted to keep game balls, though the league charges them for doing so. Milestone footballs are routinely saved by players as keepsakes, making Hines-Allen’s attempt to secure Hunter’s ball understandable even as the interaction itself took an unexpected turn.
The confrontation had nothing to do with the Patriots’ lopsided loss on the scoreboard.
But two days later, one of the strangest scenes from Sunday’s game now has a new detail attached to it: the person on the other side of the viral exchange with Hines-Allen was working for New England.
Patriots Employee Identified in Viral Sideline Altercation With Jaguars Star