Written by Paul Gutierrez at ESPN.com
Marshawn Lynch was ejected from the Oakland Raiders’ 31-30 win against the Kansas City Chiefs midway through the second quarter Thursday night for making contact with an official.
Lynch ran off the sideline and into a scrum after Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters hit Raiders quarterback Derek Carr late, drawing a flag for a personal foul. Several Raiders offensive linemen went after Peters, an Oakland native and close friend of Lynch.
Peters showed up for the game wearing a Beast Mode sweatshirt, which is Lynch’s apparel line.
Lynch, who had two carries for 9 yards before the ejection, bumped line judge Julian Mapp in the chest and then grabbed the official by the jersey before letting go and tending to Peters.
“I was disappointed he ran out because I knew we had a 15-yard penalty and we’d be in good shape,” Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said. “I told him you can’t leave the bench like that. That was about it. Next thing I knew, he was being tossed. The referee told me he had actually put his hands on him.”
Physical contact with an official carries a fine of $30,387. If the NFL suspends Lynch for coming off the bench to join the altercation, it would cost him a game check of $79,411.
Lynch was in the locker room to congratulate his teammates after the win but didn’t speak to reporters. He and Peters were spotted together on the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) after the game.
“I don’t have any problem with Marcus coming in and hitting me. He knows that. I told him, ‘I got no issue. Just play ball,’ ” Carr said. “Obviously, Marshawn came out and did his thing. You never want a guy to get kicked out. That stinks. But just from knowing him, I know that he was out there just taking care of us.”
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