September 13, 2020
2020 on-field shove and helmet contact
On Sept. 13, 2020 Marshon Lattimore shoved Mike Evans during the season opener between the Saints and Buccaneers, with video showing helmet contact; the NFL fined Lattimore $10,500 for unnecessary roughness, marking a reversal of roles in the ongoing pattern [2].
Quick Facts
What Happened
In the Sept. 13, 2020 regular-season opener between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints, Marshon Lattimore and Mike Evans were involved in a physical on-field exchange after a play. Video from the game captured Lattimore shoving Evans from behind and making contact with Evans' helmet area during the sequence, prompting league review and a citation for unnecessary roughness [2][7]. The NFL assessed a fine of $10,500 against Lattimore for the contact, documenting the incident as a separate disciplinary action in the broader Evans–Lattimore sequence [2]. Contemporaneous reporting placed the shove in the context of the teams' rivalry and noted that the 2020 incident flipped the dynamic from the 2017 episode—where Evans ran onto the field—to a play where the cornerback (Lattimore) initiated contact against the veteran receiver (Evans). Media outlets embedded video of the shove and helmet contact in their coverage, which contributed to the league's decision to fine Lattimore for unnecessary roughness [2][7].
What They Said
“All I seen is Lattimore, he like punched Lenny in the face or something like that and like, pushed Tom. That's all I saw. So, I just pushed him.”
Why It Matters
The Sept. 13, 2020 shove is significant because it shows the pattern between Evans and Lattimore was not one-sided: after Evans' 2017 sideline hit, Lattimore initiated physical contact in 2020 and was fined. The episode demonstrated reciprocal on-field retaliation and contributed to the narrative that their meetings carried heightened risk of escalation, influencing how officials, teams, and the league monitored future encounters between the two players [2].
What Happened Next
The NFL imposed a $10,500 fine on Marshon Lattimore for unnecessary roughness following the Sept. 13, 2020 shove; reporting highlighted the video evidence showing helmet contact as the basis for the fine [2][7]. The fine added a financial penalty to the disciplinary record between the players and was referenced by media and fans when the two met again in 2022. No public statements from Lattimore included in the research corpus directly address this specific fine; subsequent coverage treated the 2020 episode as part of the recurring pattern leading into the 2022 brawl [1][2].