Table of Contents
About the Author: Scott Reynolds
Latest Bucs Headlines
According to Pro Football Talk, the NFL is reviewing the brawl between the Bucs and Saints that started when New Orleans cornerback Marshon Lattimore was jawing with Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady in the fourth quarter. Running back Leonard Fournette jumped in to defend Brady and Lattimore shoved Fournette. That prompted Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans, who has had a beef and a few altercations with Lattimore in the past, to join the fray.
Per source, the NFL is working on addressing all things related to the Bucs-Saints brawl on Sunday, including the involvement of "retired" Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians from the sideline.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) September 19, 2022
Bucs senior assistant to the GM Bruce Arians – Photo by: USA Today
Evans ran into Lattimore hard and shoved him to the ground. That started a bench-clearing fracas that was quickly broken up by the officials. Both Evans and Lattimore were ejected, and the Bucs went on to outscore the Saints 17-7 in the fourth quarter to prevail, 20-10.
Saints safety Marcus Maye also played a role in the fight, grappling with Evans and then slamming him to the turf. Maye was not disciplined by the officials and remained in the game. Evans and Lattimore were the only players penalized for the fight on Sunday.
Evans and Lattimore will certainly receive hefty fines for their role in Sunday’s brawl, and there is a chance that both players could be suspended by the league.
When asked what the chances are of Evans being suspended for charging Lattimore, one Bucs official texted Pewter Report, saying: “I cannot predict what the league does.”
The Bucs host the 1-1 Packers on Sunday, while the Saints travel to face winless Carolina.
This is not the first time Evans and Lattimore have gotten into some fights. The two are heated adversaries and came to blows in 2019 when Evans was defending former Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston, who was jawing with Lattimore.
NFL Also Looking At Potential Involvement From Ex-Bucs Head Coach
Pro Football Talk also suggests that the league is looking into any role that former Bucs head coach Bruce Arians had in the incident. Arians, who has a hot temper and a salty mouth, was seen shouting at Lattimore after an incompletion on third down just moments before the brawl broke out.
Now in his role as senior assistant to general manager Jason Licht, Arians and Licht spent the first week of the season up in a luxury suite in Dallas in the Week 1 season opener. But Arians joined Licht, who typically watches the games on the sidelines, downstairs for a better view of the action.
