Late in the summer, things can get heated at NFL practices.
That's what happened at Thursday's joint practice between the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans, when cornerback Stephon Gilmore and wideout A.J. Brown went at it.
In what NFL Network's Mike Giardi described as a "fracas," Gilmore and Brown got tangled up before Devin McCourty, Jonathan Jones and Corey Davis joined in.
"If that's a fight to you, man you've never been in a fight," Titans coach Mike Vrabel said after practice. "We just don't want any punches thrown."
No punches were thrown, so Vrabel got his wish. The skirmish didn't go any further than some shoving.
"I'm going to make sure we do (joint practices) with people that we trust that aren't sharing information and practice the same way we do, and believe in competing hard and finishing by not throwing punches," Vrabel said. "I understand that it's competitive -- they're pro football players. We want them to be really competitive.
"Is there going to be pushing and shoving? Yeah, I would figure there would be. But can they play with enough composure to break it up like they do in a game and go back? There's pushing and shoving in every game, and if you don't throw a punch they're going to let you go back into the huddle."
While Brady and the Pats got the last laugh by winning the Super Bowl, Vrabel didn't seem too pleased with the joke.
"I don't even know where it is right now," Vrabel said when asked about it after practice.
