Fan violence has already begun to mar the NFL just one week into the 2024 season as the Las Vegas Raiders’ trip to SoFi Stadium saw supporters left bloodied and unconscious.
The Los Angeles Chargers opened their season at home in an AFC West divisional matchup against the Raiders Sunday, but brutal tackles were already being made before the players even took to the field.
A shockingly violent mass brawl broke out between sets of the rival fans outside the LA-based stadium ahead of the Week 1 game kicking off.
Two Raiders fans were caught scrapping with a man in a Rams jersey but fanbase loyalty appeared to be worth nothing. One of the Las Vegas supporters in a No. 99 Crosby jersey was even seen landing a few punches on his fellow fan.
He and the Rams fan managed to drag the man – wearing a No. 5 Deablo jersey – to the ground where they begun to kick and strike him in brutal, sickening scenes.
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT
A shockingly violent mass brawl broke out between Raiders and Chargers fans Sunday
One man was left bloodied and unconscious while one woman (left) was body slammed
After they were eventually dragged away, the man could be seen sprawled out on the dusty floor seemingly knocked out cold with blood trickling down his face.
A woman, wearing a strapless black top, launched herself on the back of his Raiders assailant hauling him backwards towards metal bollards as she attempted to land a couple of blows to his side.
However, the female fan swiftly became a victim as the man astonishingly shook her off as they tussled on the ground before he body slammed her to the floor.
While the brunette woman managed to stagger to her feet, two men were spotted checking on the unconscious Vegas fan, who still lay flat out on the ground, with one holding his wrist and checking his pulse.
The sickening, violent scenes mark a continuation of the epidemic that swept the NFL throughout last season.
The first of those melees saw a Raiders fan punched several times before being thrown down the stairs by a Chargers rival in a shocking clip which went viral on social media.
Footage of two other fights from the game circulated online, including an ugly scuffle between two female Raiders supporters.
Last year, an ugly scuffle between two female Raiders supporters broke out at SoFi Stadium
A fan even passed away in September 2023 following a fight at a New England Patriots game.
Patriots fan Dale Mooney, 53, collapsed and died after being beaten by a Dolphins fan at the Gillette Stadium.
Disturbing footage obtained by NBC10 showed the father-of-two and long-time Patriots ticket holder, who was donning Jones’ No 10 jersey, being swung at by a Dolphins fan.
The punch connected, with eyewitnesses saying Mooney fell to the ground moments later during the huge brawl. He was then rushed to a nearby hospital before being pronounced dead.
However, an autopsy concluded Mooney was not directly killed by the Dolphins fans’ punch and may have succumbed to an undisclosed ‘medical issue‘.
Norfolk County District’s attorney’s office said the autopsy did identify an medical issue that may have contributed to his death.
DA Michael Morrissey confirmed that the issue was a potential contributor to his death, but that the case would require further testing.
Dale Mooney, 53, died after being beaten by a Miami Dolphins fan at the Gillette Stadium
The Giants, the 49ers, the Bengals, the Commanders, the Rams, the Broncos, the Ravens and the Seahawks all also saw nasty scenes – in the stands or around the stadium – go viral last year.
A 2023 survey found nearly 40 per cent of NFL fans have witnessed criminality at or around an NFL stadium; around one in 14 has been a victim themselves. Nowhere have fans seen more disorder (63 per cent) than at Lincoln Financial Field – home of the Philadelphia Eagles. The most common crime witnessed? Physical violence.
Less than two per cent of Colts fans, meanwhile, said they feel comfortable letting their children go to Lucas Oil Stadium unaccompanied. Across all 32 teams, that number was 77 per cent.
Nearly three quarters of female Lions fans (74 per cent) admitted they would not feel comfortable alone around Ford Field; throughout the league, it was 45 per cent. And yet, perhaps the most striking feature of this flurry of violence is the number of women dishing out the violence.
