The NFL has reportedly warned former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians that punishment could be headed his way if he conducts himself in future games as he did during the team’s Week 2 matchup versus the New Orleans Saints.
The Bucs and Saints game this past Sunday was a feisty affair that reached a very physical peak late in their latest divisional matchup. In the final quarter of a game that was tied at three a piece, Saints defensive back Marshon Lattimore was able to break up a deep pass from quarterback Tom Brady to Scotty Miller. However, the defensive stop seemed to border on pass interference and received a firey response from the Buccaneers bench and Brady.
With the two sides yapping at each other, tension hit a high when Tampa Bay receiver Mike Evans pushed Lattimore to the ground and set off a melee between the two teams. A moment that got lost in the brawl that led to a one-game suspension for Evans is the fact that Bruce Arians was also seen jaw-jacking with officials and Saints players during the game.
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The man who helped lead Tampa to a Super Bowl a few years back retired in the offseason and has taken on a senior advisor role under general manager Jason Licht. The pair were on the sidelines after they claimed the Saints did not offer them luxury box seats for the game.
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach could face future punishment for firey temper
On Wednesday, ESPN broke the news that Arians’ antics on the sideline during the game and fourth-quarter fight earned him a call from the NFL this week, “telling him future similar conduct will result in discipline for him and the club, a source told ESPN.”
The Buccaneers have put themselves in an awkward position by having the former head coach still around the team in a weekly capacity while new head man Todd Bowles tries to earn respect and get the franchise back to the Super Bowl in what is likely Brady’s final season.
The Buccaneers return to action for Week 3 in a 4:25 PM ET matchup against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.