Tempers run high during the summer. We’ve seen it over and over again throughout the years. Teammates are sick of practicing against one another on a daily basis. The boring and tedious process gives in to infighting within teams.
That came out in a big way during the defending champion New England Patriots’ practice on Tuesday. Wide receiver Julian Edelman and the newly signed Stephon Gilmore got into what is being described as a big fight, at which point both were kicked off the practice field.
Edelman and Gilmore just got tossed from practice after getting in a big fight. Edelman had to be pried away and carried off by Hogan
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) August 1, 2017
The fight itself apparently lasted 10-15 seconds after Gilmore held Edelman, then proceeded to wrestle him to the ground.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has a zero-tolerance rule when it comes to fighting during practice. So it’s not necessarily a surprise that both were removed from the field.
This likely won’t have any long-term ramifications for either player. Both Edelman and Gilmore are slated to start this upcoming season. More than anything, one could conclude that passion for football has already taken over at Patriots camp. That really can’t be considered a bad thing.