The Baltimore Ravens weren’t the only team to have a fight break out during mini-camp on Wednesday.
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman was in the heart of a scuffle that broke out between the offense and defense during Wednesday’s practice session.
Wide receiver Bryan Walters suffered a right shoulder injury when he landed hard while making a leaping grab on a pass about midway through practice. Safety Earl Thomas landed partially on top of Walters while he contacted the ground and members of Seattle’s offense appeared to take offense to the play.
Something was said that appeared to spark Sherman as he began to shout loudly back in the direction or Seattle’s receivers and was ultimately restrained and pulled away to line up or the next snap. On the ensuing play, Sherman locked up with receiver Phil Bates and the two swung each other around as Bates lost his helmet and had his jersey pulled over his head in the process. Sherman also lost his helmet as the two threw punches, both connecting on at least one occasion.
Receivers Percy Harvin and Doug Baldwin ran to get into the mix and the sides had to be separated.
“This can happen at any practice whether it’s in the season or not,” Thomas said. “I just think we’re all so competitive, if you press just one wrong button everyone will clear the benches.”
Head coach Pete Carroll called a halt to practice soon after the incident and spoke to the team for close to five minutes before they resumed their workouts. Emotions were still damaged and players continued to angrily bark at each other for some time after the incident.
However, everyone eventually appeared to make up over the scuffle by the end of practice with many laughing to each other about the fray. Bates and Harvin both joked and laughed with Sherman while recounting the incident amongst themselves. Baldwin and Sherman hugged walking off the practice field.
“Sometimes you get mad and you say stuff that you don’t really mean,” Thomas said. “But at the same time, we’re all men out here. We’re all alpha males and it happens like that sometimes.”