Football is a game of strong individuals and hence, players sometimes like to showcase their strength by fighting with others rather than trying to overcome their opponents on the field. With the NFL training camp officially kicking off, the 32 teams are expecting to prepare their weapons for the upcoming season, but physical fights have become a major concern these days and the Chicago Bears witnessed a similar scenario on Saturday.
While fights in practices and scrimmages may highlight the passion and competitive mindset of the players, they might even lead to severe consequences as one of the Tennessee Titans players was even cut from the roster during camp due to constant fighting on the field.
What happened between Chase Claypool and Eddie Jackson?
Bears wide receiver Chase Claypool and safety Eddie Jackson became the highlight of today’s camp following their heated altercation which got so bad that the team’s General Manager Ryan Poles had to rush on the spot to stop it.
The altercation started when Jackson reportedly threw a forceful hit on Claypool that made him go out of bounds and consequently, the veteran lost his cool. He retaliated by ripping Eddie’s helmet off, causing a fierce confrontation instantly.
Both players started exchanging heated words. Justin Fields, Darnell Mooney along with other players tried to pacify the situation, but the incident got mitigated when the Bears GM appeared and talked to them to restore order on the field.
Report: #Bears WR Chase Claypool and Pro-Bowl Safety Eddie Jackson got into it today at practice and GM Ryan Poles had to step in to break it up.
Jackson hit Claypool as he went out of bounds. at practice Claypool, unhappy with the hit, grabbed Jackson by the helmet — Jackson’s… pic.twitter.com/TORb3dtnUf
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 5, 2023
Chicago’s defensive coordinator Alan Williams was clearly not pleased with the scenario and urged players to not be combative in the camp,
“I would say this — to make sure it’s competitive, not combative. That means we are competing. We want to be elite competitors. Elite guys in how we compete….. Part of it is playing hard, playing fast, playing with energy. I love the chippiness. That says that we’re establishing an identity. But the after-the-whistle stuff, yeah, I’m not for that part.”
Review on Bears NFL training camp
The Bears completed their last camp day with an end-of-half drill after ensuring the ball at their 30-yard line with 1:15 left. The match tied and the team’s third-year quarterback Field managed to turn heads following his strike to Velus Jones Jr. to garner 17. Rookie Tyler Scott dropped several passes albeit other rookies like Roschon Johnson showcased incredible physicality while Pickens and Gervon Dexter made havoc on the field.
While G Teven Jenkins returned to practice, players like S Jaquan Brisker, LB Tremaine Edmunds, DE DeMarcus Walker, G Nate Davis, and LB Jack Sanborn were not present on Saturday’s camp.
The Chicago-based team is coming off a three-win season, however, they should focus on keeping their squad together otherwise the teamwork could take a severe hit.
