The conflict between Marshon Lattimore and Mike Evans began on Nov. 5, 2017, when Mike Evans ran onto the field and blindsided rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore after Lattimore shoved Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston [5]. The NFL suspended Evans one game for the hit; Evans apologized, saying, "I let my emotions get the best of me... It was very childish. I shouldn't have done that. Unprofessional." [5] That moment converted routine opponent contact into a personal disciplinary matter and put both players on a watch list for future meetings. Lattimore entered the NFL as a first-round pick for the New Orleans Saints in 2017 and was establishing a physical reputation in coverage; Evans was an established veteran receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers [5]. There is no public record of a friendship or off-field association between the two before the 2017 incident, so the Nov. 5, 2017 blindside served as the inciting incident that created a repeating pattern of on-field retaliation between them [5]. Subsequent meetings would show that a single shove or shove-to-quarterback sequence could trigger immediate, league-sanctioned responses. The 2017 suspension established that the league would treat off-sideline involvement seriously; that precedent framed how referees and the NFL reviewed later contacts between Evans and Lattimore, increasing scrutiny in their next meetings [6]. Media coverage replayed video clips of the Nov. 5 hit, which cemented the incident as the rivalry's origin in public records [7].
As of the latest review of mainstream coverage, the last publicly documented physical confrontation between Marshon Lattimore and Mike Evans occurred on Sept. 18, 2022, when a bench-clearing brawl in New Orleans led to ejections and a one-game suspension for Evans; multiple players were fined afterward [1][3][4]. The NFL's disciplinary letter from Jon Runyan to Evans outlined the reasons for suspension and described appeal mechanics [3][6]. There are no mainstream reports through Feb. 17, 2026 that record a new on-field clash or a public reconciliation between the two; the incident record in this dossier classifies the rivalry as dormant [1][2][3]. Both players remained active in the NFL after 2022 per team rosters and coverage [2][7].
From Mike Evans' vantage, his interventions were defensive actions aimed at protecting teammates on the field; he framed the Sept. 18, 2022 shove as a reaction to Lattimore punching Leonard Fournette and pushing Tom Brady. Evans has publicly described his conduct as emotional defense rather than premeditated aggression [1][2][3].
From Marshon Lattimore's side the exchanges appear as part of in-game physicality and enforcement: Lattimore, a physical cornerback, engaged in contact that opponents and the league sometimes judged excessive. League discipline (fines) applied to Lattimore after the 2020 and 2022 episodes indicates the NFL viewed at least some of his actions as rule violations rather than justified retaliation [2][4].
The NFL and team leadership treated these episodes as enforceable conduct issues: the league issued suspensions and fines, and teams issued public comments defending players or criticizing the punishment. League letters and fines show the NFL prioritized deterrence of sideline intervention and dangerous conduct [3][4][6].
As of the latest mainstream reporting through Feb. 17, 2026, the last publicly documented physical confrontation between them occurred on Sept. 18, 2022; there is no public record of a subsequent on-field altercation or a public reconciliation, so the rivalry is considered dormant in public coverage [1][2][3].
The documented sequence began on Nov. 5, 2017 when Mike Evans ran from the Buccaneers sideline and blindsided rookie Marshon Lattimore after Lattimore shoved Jameis Winston; the NFL suspended Evans one game for that conduct, which set the origin for later confrontations [5].
A fourth-quarter exchange in New Orleans escalated into a bench-clearing brawl after Leonard Fournette and Marshon Lattimore were involved; Mike Evans shoved Lattimore to the turf, both were ejected, and the NFL later suspended Evans one game and fined multiple players [1][3][4].
Mike Evans received one-game suspensions in connection with incidents involving Marshon Lattimore on Nov. 5, 2017 and after the Sept. 18, 2022 brawl, as reported in league discipline coverage [5][3].
Yes. Lattimore was fined $10,500 for unnecessary roughness after the Sept. 13, 2020 shove on Mike Evans, and he was among players fined (reported at $13,367 each) following the Sept. 18, 2022 brawl [2][4].
After the Nov. 5, 2017 blindside Evans apologized: "I let my emotions get the best of me... It was very childish. I shouldn't have done that. Unprofessional" [5]. After the Sept. 18, 2022 brawl he said he was defending teammates: "You don't throw punches at guys on the field... I shoved him… turned into a brawl" [1][3].
Yes. Tom Brady called Evans' one-game suspension "ridiculous" on his 'Let's Go!' podcast, reflecting teammate disagreement with the league's punishment, while team and league officials issued the formal discipline outlined in the suspension letter from Jon Runyan [3][6].
Yes. Widespread video clips and social-media posts (including posts by analysts and teammates) circulated immediately after the Sept. 18, 2022 brawl and were embedded in major outlets' coverage, providing the visual record the league and reporters used [4][7].