Second-year running back Chase Brown played a crucial role in securing the Cincinnati Bengals‘ first win of the season, delivering a standout performance that included two touchdowns in a 34-24 victory over the Panthers in Charlotte. However, what should have been a moment of celebration for Brown took an unexpected turn when a fan appeared to pour a drink on him as he headed toward the locker room.

In response, both the NFL and the players’ association have launched an investigation. NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy confirmed to ESPN that a review is underway, aiming to uncover the details of what transpired.

Bengals offensive lineman Ted Karras, who also represents the team within the NFLPA, mentioned that video footage would be examined to gather more information. Player director Michael Thomas added that they would work to identify the person involved in the incident.

“We’ll see if we can identify the person and then we’ll go from there,” Thomas told ESPN. “But that should never happen to a player.”

The incident

Brown described the moment as one of joy, tossing his gloves to fans above the visiting team’s tunnel in celebration of the victory. While he chose not to confront the fan directly, Brown made it clear that he hopes similar incidents can be avoided in the future, calling for respect and sportsmanship.

“I was walking in [and] I felt the liquid or whatever, and then when I saw the video back, I’m like, ‘Damn, that’s really what happened,'” Brown said.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time that a drink-throwing episode has been linked to the Panthers organization. Back in January, team owner David Tepper faced a fine after being caught on video tossing a drink in the direction of a fan during a matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.