22 August 2023 , 20:37
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The joint practice between the Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts was called off when a brawl broke out between the two franchises after Jason Kelce blindsided linebacker Zaire Franklin.
Amid a reportedly heated practice between the teams on Tuesday, several scuffles broke out across the session before it was called to a halt early after a sideline-clearing brawl. Fights are generally common in training camp, particularly during joint practice scenarios as the competition with rivals leads to heated confrontations.
Earlier, Derek Barnett shoved Colts players after knocking the ball from the hands of rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson before A.J. Brown clashed with an Indianapolis defensive back. There were other hits on Eagles players that appeared late, including Franklin levelling Eagles running back Franklin. Kelce had seen enough.
At the end of a play, Kelce blindsided Franklin, rocking the Colts linebacker and sending him to the floor. The 35-year-old took the blame as head coach Nick Sirianni insisted his team cannot let their emotions take control, with Eagles and Colts players continuing to hurl abuse at one another as they were separated.
“I think tensions just got the better of me,” Kelce told reporters. “We try to keep things civil on the field. That certainly doesn’t belong out there on the field. I’m a little bit ashamed it got to that level. Certainly not happy about that.
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“I think very highly of the guys that were out here, particularly No. 44, Zaire. I think he’s a tremendous player. They brought a lot of intensity to the day.”
Kelce added: “I want to reiterate that's not something I should've done or should happen out there. It was a cheap shot. A certain level of intensity and fisticuffs at practice is okay, but that was not.”
While Gainwell suggested it was ‘just Kelce being Kelce’, the All-Pro centre insisted there were ‘better ways’ to deal with it. He claimed his actions were ‘unacceptable’, and admitted he had not spoken or apologised to Franklin after the fight as ‘tensions are a little too high for that right now’.
Jason Kelce expressed remorse over how the fight broke out (AP)Meanwhile, Franklin, who hails from Philadelphia, said: “When you have joint practices against other organisations, sometimes your speed ain't their speed. People get offended - that's life. Growing up in Philly, watching [Kelce] for a long time - lot of respect for him. Talked to him a little bit after we played them last year.
“I thought the OGs would at least look me in the eye before [hitting me], but it's all good. I might get a chance to look him in the eye Thursday, so we're going to be OK.”
For head coaches Sirianni and Shane Steichen, there is plenty of history - particularly when it comes to the Eagles-Colts contest.
Sirianni, who served as Colts offensive coordinator from 2018-20, was angry at the AFC South franchise firing his mentor Frank Reich in November, suggesting it was ‘sweet’ to beat the Colts. Steichen served as the offensive coordinator under Sirianni in 2022, leading the Eagles to Super Bowl LVII.
The Eagles and Colts will not practice on Wednesday. The two teams face off in the preseason finale on Thursday night.