Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Tennessee Titans defensive end Jeffery Simmons got into a fight following Baltimore’s win Sunday in London.
The incident, which took place as players were leaving the field at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, was sparked by Simmons diving at Zay Flowers’ legs as the rookie wide receiver was being tackled by two other Titans defenders following a second-quarter catch. That led to Beckham jogging over to the pile and confronting the two-time All-Pro before Simmons shoved Beckham to the ground, drawing a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
Things were chippy throughout the game, according to Beckham.
“There was a lot of talk,” Beckham said after practice Wednesday in Owings Mills. “I seen he was chasing down the play, he’s tired, I watched him look at the play then look at Zay’s legs and try and dive on them.
“I just didn’t like that. I’m protective. This is my guy. This is my little bro. Love him to death. I’m always gonna have his back, period. If that leads me into trouble then it is what it is.”
The details of the fight were first revealed during Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey’s podcast earlier Wednesday.
“I saw Jeffery Simmons, and he’s just looking like this [stretching neck, making a face]. Helmet on. I’m like, ‘Oh, he must got family on our team or something,’” Humphrey said on the podcast. “So I’m trying to take off my jersey and pads, so I’m thinking he wants to show me love, like he respects my game. So I [approached him] and he wasn’t.
“As my back’s turned to him, our guy goes ‘Rodney! Rodney!’ Roddy’s our security’s name. I’m like, any time you start yelling for security, freaking out, I turn around, Odell and Jeffery are like fighting!
“I’m pretty sure Odell’s grabbing his face mask. They had to get separated and everything. I don’t know how this has not hit the media.”
Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday that he was unaware of the fight.
“First I’ve heard of it,” he said.
This was not the first incident between Simmons and the Ravens.
In 2020, Ravens offensive lineman Marshal Yanda accused Simmons, then a rookie, of spitting in his face during Baltimore’s loss to the Titans.
“I just want to put him on notice, in the media. I’ve never done this in my career,” Yanda said after the game. “There’s a right way and a wrong way to play football, and that guy did not do it the right way today. So the refs and everybody in the NFL need to put him on notice. Like I said, I’ve never been spit in my face, and I literally got spit right in my face by No. 98.”
Yanda also said Simmons “was saying some stuff today that was just ridiculous conduct for the NFL.”
Beckham said he has already moved on from the fight and that the team is focused on Sunday’s opponent, the 5-1 Detroit Lions.
“I’ve got almost a 2-year-old [son]. I got other [stuff] I’m worried about,” Beckham said. “It’s nothing.
“People understand what my name holds, the weight. They try and do things to come up off that. I got to the point where I realized that and you just can’t let people capitalize. There’s nothing really to talk about. This will be water under the bridge.”
It has been a slow start to the season for Beckham, who has nine catches for 113 yards in four games and has yet to score a touchdown after signing a one-year, $15 million deal in free agency. He also missed two games with an ankle injury.
Still, the 30-year-old former All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl selection has put the incident behind him.
“It was dead when we won,” he said. “Sent ’em on the way home. We had a great flight home. We come in here and we watch the film, we’re worried about Detroit. We’re not worried about them. See them in the playoffs, maybe. That’s it. Other than that, we’re worried about Detroit.”
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