Bill Belichick generally keeps things orderly and businesslike at Patriots training camp, but when the Patriots practiced under the lights at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday night, several players lost their cool.
It started when offensive tackle Nate Solder took what several people on the scene have described as a cheap shot at linebacker Brandon Spikes during 11-on-11 drills. That started a fight that got multiple players from the offense and the defense going at it. Solder was required to run a penalty lap, and Spikes went into the locker room and came back wearing a knee brace and jawing at Solder, although Spikes was apparently not seriously hurt.
Center Dan Koppen was also engaged in plenty of pushing and shoving, with post-play skirmishes with two players on the Patriots’ defense, Dane Fletcher and James Ihedigbo.
Patriots rookie defensive end Chandler Jones was asked if he would be joining in the training camp fights, seeing as his brother is UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones. But Chandler said he’d pass.
“You know what? I’m not Jon ‘Bones’ Jones,” Jones said. “My name is Chandler.”
Patriots cornerback Kyle Arrington said the fights were no big deal.
“It was a little chippy,” Arrington said. “That’s what happens when you put on full pads. A few practices have been like that. It’s been shells and OTAs and minicamp, it really hasn’t been too much physical practices so guys are just waiting to unload on each other.”
Belichick would probably prefer that the Patriots stop unloading on each other when the whistle blows.