Bills defensemen Shaq Lawson and Jordan Phillips addressed the confrontation the pair had with a fan at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field during a loss to the Eagles on Sunday night.
Both players made statements on Instagram after video surfaced online of them yelling with a fan, with Lawson appearing to push them.
The incident happened behind the Bills’ bench and the two players went to confront the Eagles fan.
“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 on his private Instagram page, according to 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.”
Video showed Phillips walking toward a fan in the front row behind the team bench and Lawson, along with other defensive players, were quick to follow.
Phillips and the unidentified fan exchanged words and then Lawson seemed to shove the fan before security finally intervened.
Another video from on the field also showed Phillips and defensive tackle Ed Oliver imploring stadium security to toss the fan out.
Eagles fan Becca Cavalier, who shot the viral video, told the Buffalo News that the fan was not removed and that she wasn’t sure what was said in the lead-up 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.”
In a statement of his own on social media, Phillips said that the fan had crossed a line “that shouldn’t be crossed.”
“I love the crowd I love rowdy fans it makes the game fun,” he 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.”
The NFL and officials at Lincoln Financial Field were both made aware of the threats, according to the Buffalo News.
Lawson could face supplementary disciplinary action from the league, the outlet also reported.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott was made aware of the situation after the game.
“Obviously, a very unfortunate situation,” McDermott told reporters on Monday. “I was brought into the loop on it this morning about the incident that took place during the game. It’s unfortunate that that would go on during a game, in particular. What I’m aware of is that people were asked to have the fan removed and nothing was done.
“So at the end of the day, that’s not for us to concern ourselves with at this point. It’s just unfortunate overall that that would be taking place during a game.”
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