The Miami Dolphins held a joint practice with the Chicago Bears on Friday — and it wasn’t exactly friendly. Multiple scuffles broke out as tensions ran high throughout the session. Dolphins offensive lineman James Daniels addressed the situation and emphasized the team’s focus.
“(Mike McDaniel) thinks fights are a waste of time — we’re here to practice,” Dolphins offensive lineman James Daniels said (h/t ESPN). “If you throw a punch in a game, you’re going to get ejected. So that’s how he’s looking at it, and we’re really the same way. We’re not trying to fight, we’re just trying to practice, go against each other, get some good looks and then go home.”
One of the more notable moments during the skirmishes came from Tyreek Hill, who showed a glimpse of his growing maturity.
“Most impressive sight of today’s practice was watching Tyreek Hill carry Dee Eskridge out of the scrum with one hand. Picked him up and talked him off like a toddler,” the Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly posted.
With tensions already flaring, Kelly warned that if this behavior carries over into Sunday’s preseason game, there could be consequences.
“Throwing punches in a preseason game gets you kicked out of the game. Man…..I bet Mike McDaniel and Ben Johnson is going to show that to their teams because these two franchise got beef after today,” Kelly wrote.
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Kelly was alluding to the Browns and Panthers game when punches were thrown, resulting in ejections.
“Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette opened the preseason Friday night with a hit that earned him a disqualification. Actually, it was multiple hits,” ESPN’s David Newton wrote. “The 2024 first-round pick appeared to land four swings on Rayshawn Jenkins of the Browns.”
The NFL has already made it clear: it’s not tolerating any physical altercations. It’s now up to coaches Ben Johnson and Mike McDaniel to ensure their players avoid extracurricular scuffles. Not only is fighting a bad look, but for players on the roster bubble, it could destroy any chance of making the team.