-
Ben Baby, ESPN Staff Writer
CINCINNATI — The NFL Players Association is reviewing an incident between a fan and Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown following Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.
As Cincinnati’s players were walking off the field at Carolina’s Bank of America Stadium, it appeared that a drink was being poured on Brown by someone in the stands at the conclusion of the Bengals’ 34-24 victory over the Panthers.
Following video that was posted on social media, the incident was referred to officials within the NFLPA and the league, according to Michael Thomas, a player director with the players association.
“We’ll see if we can identify the person and then we’ll go from there,” Thomas told ESPN on Monday. “But that should never happen to a player.”
Bengals center Ted Karras, the team’s lead player representative for the NFLPA, said video will be reviewed to gather more information on the incident. NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy told ESPN that the league is looking into the matter.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Brown said he was throwing his gloves up to one of the fans that was above the entrance to the visitor’s tunnel following Cincinnati’s first victory of the season.
The second-year player had his first NFL rushing touchdown in the win over the Panthers, and added a second later in the game for the first multi-touchdown day of his career.
Brown said he was looking forward to celebrating the team’s first win in the locker room before the incident.
“I was walking in [and] I felt the liquid or whatever, and then when I saw the video back, I’m like, ‘Damn, that’s really what happened,'” Brown said.
Karras recalled a drink-throwing incident in 2017 when he was a member of the New England Patriots. Offensive lineman David Andrews was pelted with a drink that was believed to be intended for quarterback Tom Brady.
Fans who are found responsible for unruly conduct at NFL games can be subject to punishment, including a potential lifetime ban.
“That was ridiculous,” Karras told ESPN on Monday about what happened to Brown in Carolina. “We can’t have that. That’s endangering of players.”
Brown said he wasn’t bothered enough at the time to go confront the fan in that situation. However, he does not want something similar to happen in the future.
“Please don’t pour drinks on us,” Brown said. “I mean, nobody wants that.”