TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay receiver Mike Evans has been suspended without pay for one game for his role in a scuffle that resulted in him and New Orleans cornerback Marshon Lattimore being ejected from the Buccaneers-Saints game.

The NFL said Monday Evans violated unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct rules by knocking Lattimore to the ground when the Buccaneers’ star intervened in a confrontation that initially involved Lattimore and Bucs teammates Tom Brady and Leonard Fournette.

“After a play had ended, you were walking toward your sidelines. When you noticed your teammates engaged in a confrontation with Saints’ players, you ran toward that area on the field and violently threw your body into and struck an unsuspecting opponent who was part of that confrontation,” league vice president of football operations Jon Runyan wrote in a letter informing Evans of the discipline.

“You knocked your opponent to the ground and a melee ensued involving players from both teams,” the letter said. “Your aggressive conduct could have caused serious injury to your opponent and clearly does not reflect the high standards of sportsmanship expected of a professional.”

Evans, who can appeal the decision, was suspended for next Sunday’s home game against the Green Bay Packers.

It’s not the first suspension of Evans’ career. The other, a one-game ban in 2017, also involved Evans knocking Lattimore to the ground during a Bucs-Saints matchup at the Superdome.

The suspension figures to leave the Bucs short-handed at receiver against the Packers, especially considering Chris Godwin (hamstring) and Julio Jones (knee) are nursing injuries that kept them from playing last week.

Coach Todd Bowles was disappointed by news of the suspension.

“Like I said, the fighting alone, losing a player for the next game, it hurts our team because we lose a very good ballplayer,” Bowles said.

“We don’t want that, we don’t condone it and we’ve got to move forward and find a way to win without him,” the coach added. “But that should be a lesson to all our other players.”

CARDINALS: Police in Las Vegas said they’re investigating allegations that a fan in the stands struck Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray amid celebrations of Arizona’s 29-23 overtime victory over the Raiders.

Murray was high-fiving front-row spectators at Allegiant Stadium following Byron Murphy Jr.’s game-ending fumble return on Sunday when a man appeared to reach out and smack Murray in the face with an open hand.

Video showed Murray appear stunned, but not injured, then attempt to identify the attacker in the mostly happy crowd.

Officer Larry Hadfield, a Las Vegas police spokesman, confirmed that a battery complaint was made about 6:30 p.m. at the stadium. The report was not immediately available.

Hadfield did not name Murray as the reporting person, but confirmed the allegation was that “a spectator at the stadium struck a professional football player.”

Hadfield said a suspect was not immediately identified and an investigation was ongoing.

Cardinals spokesman Mark Dalton referred any questions about the incident to Las Vegas police.

Murray had an outstanding game, leading the Cardinals (1-1) to two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions in the final 8:13 of regulation to force overtime.

The victory was Arizona’s first since Murray agreed to a $230.5 million, five-year contract extension. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft after winning the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma in 2018.

BROWNS: Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney will miss Thursday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers after injuring his right ankle during Sunday’s 31-30 loss to the New York Jets.

Clowney got hurt in the third quarter while chasing Jets quarterback Joe Flacco. Clowney, who had a strip sack in the first half, struggled to get to the sideline before being evaluated in the medical tent.

Clowney did not return and the Browns (1-1) blew a 13-point lead in the final two minutes to lose their home opener. He left FirstEnergy Stadium in a walking boot.

Without Clowney, the Browns were forced to play rookies Isaiah Thomas and Alex Wright more, and they didn’t have their usual depth in the final minutes as they tried to hold off the Jets (1-1).

Coach Kevin Stefanski did not offer any specifics about Clowney’s injury or its severity. The three-time Pro Bowler is in his second season with Cleveland, which re-signed him to a one-year deal in May after he played well in 2021.

Stefanski said defensive end Chase Winovich (hamstring) and tight end Jesse James (biceps) also will miss Thursday’s game.

Quarterback Jacoby Brissett injured his ankle in the fourth quarter but finished Sunday’s game. Stefanski said Brissett is not on the injury report.

CHIEFS: Linebacker Willie Gay Jr. has been suspended without pay for the next four games for violating the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy.

Gay was arrested on Jan. 20 in Overland Park and charged with criminal damage to property totaling less than $1,000. The damaged property included a vacuum cleaner.

The third-year pro agreed in June to undergo mental health counseling as part of a diversion agreement. The agreement also requires Gay to submit to the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office drug and alcohol testing at any time during a 12-month period. He is further required to pay restitution, costs and fees totaling $544.50.

Gay will miss the next four games against the Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Las Vegas Raiders and Buffalo Bills.