Packers Security Guard Not Happy With Mike Evans Giving Touchdown Ball to Bucs

The Green Bay Packers hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in a clash between two teams battling to stay in the NFC playoff picture. The Bucs opened up the game with a field goal before the Packers scored a touchdown after a few possessions to take the lead heading into the second quarter. Baker Mayfield responded by throwing an absolute dart of a touchdown pass to Mike Evans after leading Tampa Bay down the field to go up 10-3.

It didn’t come to pass without some silly drama, though. After Evans scored he ran towards the stands to give the touchdown ball to a Bucs fan, as he usually does. He found such a fan decked out in full Buccaneer garb, who seemed quite happy to get the ball. The Lambeau Field security guard, however, was not. The cameras lingered on the fan and caught the security guard appearing to hold onto the ball while sternly talking to the fan.

On the surface it looks like the guard is actually fighting with the fan for the ball, which is several levels of absurd. NFL teams try to go hunt down footballs that go careening out of the field of play but always leave it alone when a player gives one to a fan. The guard would be taking his own initiative here if he was trying to tell the fan he couldn’t have the ball, and it’s hard to imagine a good reason why he would do that.

However, I think what actually happened is that the security guard got mad at the fan for hurtling down the steps and crashing through the yellow gate that separates the seats from the stairs down to the field. He may have been holding onto the ball to ensure the fan was listening to him but it feels more likely the guard was chewing him out for going through the gate more than anything.

Regardless of what actually happened the fan is definitely getting a ball because Evans lingered a few moments specifically to ensure the fan would get to keep it. So if the guard did, in fact, break protocol and take the ball away I bet Evans will ensre things are made right.