Green Bay Packers cornerback Damarious Randall got into an argument with a coach and was sent to the locker room before the end of Thursday's win over the Chicago Bears, a source informed of the situation told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
Randall was benched by the Packers at the start of the second half after allowing a touchdown pass just before halftime. He then left the sideline before the end of the game, Rapoport reported. One witness told Rapoport that Randall left the stadium before the game ended. A source close to Randall disputed that account, saying the corner didn't leave until after the game ended.
Randall met with coach Mike McCarthy at the team facility Friday to discuss the incident, per Rapoport.
"Damarious Randall last night was a coach's decision, my decision to send him to the locker room," McCarthy said Friday afternoon when asked by reporters about the incident, "It's an internal matter as I stated last night. Anytime things happen throughout the course of our operation, whether it's on the game, practice, so forth I can promise you there's dialogue and it's an internal matter that's being handled internally. I will make it clear as it was on the field. It was a coach's decision, my decision, for Damarious to go into the locker room.
"It did happen on the playing field. I've addressed the decision that was made and also addressed the environment we're working in so it was a coach's decision to have him leave the field. It's conversation that as I said always goes on in any type of situation and when we come back Tuesday, Damarious will be ready to roll with the rest of our football team."
With veteran Davon House out due to injury, Randall started as the No. 2 corner, played 28 snaps and compiled five tackles in the whitewash victory over the Bears before getting benched. After he got burned by Kendall Wright on a touchdown, Randall sat on the bench seemingly pouting in the second half before heading to the locker room early.
At one point House sat with his fellow cornerback to try to help coax him out of the funk.
"Just trying to make sure he kept his head in the game, that type of thing," House said. "Just the typical shake it off. It's all part of the game. As cornerbacks, you're going to get scored on. Deion [Sanders] got scored on, [Darrelle] Revis got scored on, Patrick Peterson gets scored on. It's part of the job."
The Packers turned to second-year pro Josh Hawkins in Randall's place for the second half. With rookie Kevin King stacking solid performances, there is no assurance the enigmatic Randall will see significant snaps when House returns to the field.
