Sean McVay Comments On Rams vs. Bengals Practice Fight

“You just never know what can occur,” McVay said. “And my biggest concern is just unnecessary injuries for people that we’re counting on."

The Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals were the story of the NFL world this week, following a fight during their second joint practice ahead of their Saturday preseason matchup. 

Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald was perhaps the most highlighted player in the incident, after he was caught on camera swinging two helmets at Bengals players during the brawl. 

However, much is still unknown as to the origin of the fight, as well as any potential fallout. 

After practice on Thursday, Rams head coach Sean McVay spoke to the media about the incident and gave his perspective on an event that could end up having a major impact on certain players. 

“I don’t know exactly what instigated it. I think in some instances teams defending each other,” McVay said. “Fortunately, my understanding is nobody got hurt and we’ll move on from it. Not going to make a bigger deal than what it is. Not going to look at pointing fingers on who did what, but just like Zac would say, I expect our guys to defend their teammates, vice versa.”

As one might expect, a joint practice involving a rematch from last year's Super Bowl would come along with some hostility. 

After all, the Super Bowl itself was quite a heated affair in its own right. 

However, McVay is thankful that no one was injured during the fight, and that there should be no long-term health repercussions for anyone involved. 

“You just never know what can occur,” he said. “And my biggest concern is just unnecessary injuries for people that we’re counting on, whether it’s for our team or the other team. That, to me, is where I care about these guys. Especially when you start throwing punches with gear on. I’ve been enough of a meathead in my past that I’ve done some stupid stuff, too. I know how volatile and fragile it is where you hit it the wrong way and you break your hand and it could affect a guy’s chances to be OK or god forbid, someone gets hit in the head with a helmet off.”

The Rams and Bengals will kick off their preseason Super Bowl rematch on Saturday night at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati at 5:20 PM PT

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You can follow Matt Galatzan on Twitter @MattGalatzan

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