‘Won’t Happen Again’: NFL Star Lamar Jackson Erupts After He and His QB Were Slapped, Fan Clearly Wasn’t Expecting His Response
Baltimore Ravens superstar Lamar Jackson, 28, got into an interaction with a Buffalo Bills fan during his team’s 41-40 loss in New York on Sept. 7.
Jackson led the Ravens into Highmark Stadium to face the Bills and reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Josh Allen. Buffalo’s Matt Prater kicked the walk-off, game-winning field goal to cap off the comeback victory for his football squad.
But during the third quarter, Jackson was caught on camera getting into a scuffle with a Bills jersey-wearing man in the stands after the fan slapped the two-time MVP winner and his teammate, DeAndre Hopkins, on their helmets.
Jackson had just thrown a 29-yard touchdown pass to Hopkins to give the Ravens a 34-19 lead before the overzealous fan got too handsy with the players. The unwanted helmet slaps triggered the Ravens quarterback to shove the man with both hands.
According to ESPN, the fan was ejected from the stadium and has been indefinitely banned from Bills and NFL venues. In addition to those disciplinary actions against the Bills Mafia member, Jackson had to address his part in the situation as well.
“He slapped me, and he was talking, so I just forgot where I was for a little bit. You gotta think in those situations,” Jackson said during a postgame press conference when questioned about the brief skirmish on the football field.
The former University of Louisville student-athlete added, “You have security out there. Let security handle it. But I just let my emotions get the best of me. But hopefully, it won’t happen again. I learned from that.”
A clip of Jackson’s in-game confrontation and his answer to the media about the viral slapping incident made the rounds on social media. In particular, the “SportsCenter” Instagram account shared the footage with the page’s 38.0 million followers.
“Keep your hands off, people. Fans think they can do anything and not get touched,” one person commented in defense of Jackson.
Even some self-described Bills supporters sided with the Ravens’ dual-threat QB in the comment section. Someone else expressed, “Bills fan here. He was justified in his actions. Don’t touch players.”
“Nah, that kid was in the wrong 100%. This is coming from a Bills fan,” read a similar reply. However, Jackson caught heat when one individual posted, “You get paid hundreds of millions of dollars to not forget where you are.”
Jackson signed a five-year, $260 million contract extension in April 2023 that made him the highest-paid player in the NFL at the time. He was asked about possibly inking a new deal with the franchise just days before the season opener against Buffalo.
ARE YOU KIDDING @DeAndreHopkins????
TOUCHDOWN RAVENS!!!! FIRST CATCH AS A RAVEN!!!! pic.twitter.com/GahQ5EKVqV
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 8, 2025
“The season’s here,” Jackson said during a conversation with the press on Sept. 3, per CBS Sports. “I’m not worried about that. You were better off asking me that during camp. But I’m locked in. I’m ready for the season to start. That time will come.”
Next up for Jackson and the Ravens is a home game in Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium versus the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 14. The Ravens Flock fanbase should not worry that their All-Pro play caller will avoid interacting with them on game days.
“I’ve never seen our fans do that,” Jackson told reporters when asked if he plans to limit how close he gets to the crowd during his TD celebrations. “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 finished the 2024 NFL regular season with 41 touchdowns and 4,172 yards. He narrowly placed second in the league MVP voting to Allen, who racked up 383 total votes and 27 first-place votes. Jackson received 362 total votes, including 23 first-place votes.