Davante Adams Won’t Be Disciplined for Photographer Incident Following 2022 Game in Kansas City: Reports

Published 02/10/2024, 8:56 PM EST

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams can now take a sigh of relief. According to NFL Network insider, Tom Pelissero, the NFL won’t be taking any disciplinary action against Adams for shoving a photographer after the clash against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022. While the case was dismissed on June 5 last year, and the reports came that the prosecutors had dropped the misdemeanor assault charge against Adams, the NFL investigation was still on.

However, per the latest update, the case appears to be “closed.” Pelissero on X wrote, “The NFL informed #Raiders WR Davante Adams he won’t be disciplined for shoving a photographer following a 2022 game in Kansas City, per sources. Prosecutors dismissed a misdemeanor assault charge against Adams last summer, but the league probe remained open. Now, it’s closed.”

During the Raiders match against the Chiefs, the WR made the headlines. Davante Adams collided with a teammate, leading to an incomplete pass and the Chiefs 30-29 victory. While leaving the field for the locker room, Adams allegedly shoved an ESPN freelance reporter, Park Zebley to the ground, who was unintentionally standing in Adams’ way with his production equipment. According to the Kansas City Star, the photographer named Park Zebley then filed the case in KC Municipal Court.

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The NFL informed #Raiders WR Davante Adams he won’t be disciplined for shoving a photographer following a 2022 game in Kansas City, per sources.
Prosecutors dismissed a misdemeanor assault charge against Adams last summer, but the league probe remained open. Now, it’s closed. pic.twitter.com/Zxa0CMUWqG
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 11, 2024

While the case led to a massive backlash on the internet and many asked for strict actions to be taken against the football player, Adams realized his misdemeanor and apologized for the same. His apology came right after the incident and he reflected on his actions.

Now, following this verdict from the NFL, neither the football player nor the photographer have given any statement as of yet. However, prior to this, the freelance photographer had demanded “justice” and also provided a strong statement.

The aftermath of the ‘shoving’ incident

In the final plays of the October 10 game in 2022, Devante Adams was captured pushing a camera person, the incident was followed by an apology. The athlete asked forgiveness from Zebley on X and tried to contact the reporter. During the post-match press conference, Adams said, “Before I say anything, I want to apologize to the guy running off the field and he ran and jumped in front of me.”He stressed the fact that how he shouldn’t have responded that way.

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However, some months later, Zebley filed a complaint against Adams. While filing a civil lawsuit in Jackson County Circuit Court in May 2023, Zebley claimed that he felt his life was in danger immediately after the incident. He further expressed that he was subsequently diagnosed with symptoms of a concussion. Additionally, he alleged that he became a target online following the episode.

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In fact, per sources, Zebley also filed a lawsuit against the Raiders and Chiefs organizations, with the trial currently set for the summer. According to USA Today’s Safid Deen, Zebley had also mentioned through his attorney, “I’m looking for justice. You can’t shove someone down and walk off like it didn’t happen. Not in real life.”

For now, one thing is clear, Adams won’t be disciplined by the NFL and no legal action will be taken against him. What remains to be seen is the reaction of the photographer to this decision and how will things unfold after that.

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Written by:

Bhwya Sriya is a senior NFL writer at EssentiallySports. She actively covers Live games and Breaking News with a specialization in injury reports. Certified for excellence in beat reporting, Bhwya also leads our annual Super Bowl coverage.

Edited by:

Aazima Basharat

Davante Adams Won’t Be Disciplined for Photographer Incident Following 2022 Game in Kansas City: Reports

The aftermath of the ‘shoving’ incident

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