NFL investigating officials after getting postgame Mike Evans autograph
An incident occurred following the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ loss to the Carolina Panthers. In the tunnel following the game, multiple officials got autographs from Tampa Bay wide receiver, Mike Evans. Now, the NFL is reviewing the incident.
News that the NFL is investigating the incident was reported by Tom Pelissero. He tweeted out a video of the incident and said Jeff Lamberth and Tripp Sutter were the officials involved.
The video itself shows the two officials calling out to Mike Evans from behind in the tunnel following the game. He slows down and they catch up handing him a piece of paper to sign, which he does. Two people behind the camera question if they just got an autograph from Evans.
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The NFL-NFLRA CBA states that officials aren’t allowed to ask for autographs or memorabilia from players, coaches, or team personnel. The logic behind this is that it would lead to questions about how honest the games were being officiated. After all, if it seems like a quid pro quo is being established, then it could seem like one team is getting favorable calls over another.
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There has already been criticism of how NFL officials have handled Tampa Bay games this season. A questionable roughing the passer call against the Atlanta Falcons helped the Buccaneers win.
Tampa Bay lost to Carolina 21-3, with Mike Evans dropping an easy touchdown pass from Tom Brady early in the game. The game dropped the Buccaneers below .500 on the season.
Mike Evans, an All-American at Texas A&M, is a four-time Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl Champion. His autographs are fairly valuable and will often be sold for more than $100 online. However, those autographs are usually on a football or jersey, rather than just a piece of paper.
Earlier this season, Mike Evans was suspended for a game because of a fight with Marshon Lattimore.