A fight broke out during the Cincinnati Bengals‘ practice on Wednesday after quarterback Joe Burrow was hit by rookie first-round pick Shemar Stewart.
Stewart hit Burrow’s midsection after Burrow delivered a pass to Ja’Marr Chase. Stewart’s hit caused Burrow to hit the ground. Burrow wasn’t hurt on the play.
Bengals offensive lineman Lucas Patrick initiated the fight by getting into it with Stewart, who took a swing at Patrick’s helmet before both players were engulfed by their teammates.
While it was instigated by Stewart’s hit of Burrow, the fight was also an accumulation of Cincinnati’s offensive line getting pushed around by Cincinnati’s defensive line throughout practice. Stewart’s hit of Burrow was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
“I think we got a little loose from an O-line perspective today,” Bengals center Ted Karras said afterwards. “Some things transpired that warranted a response, and Lucas delivered that. I thought we handled it well overall. It wasn’t like a shut down the practice type of scuffle. And probably about time we had one of those.”
Karras was asked about Stewart and if he likes the level of intensity that the team’s first-round pick brings to practice.
“Hell yeah,” Karras said. “Just be smarter. … Great player. But, come on, man. That’s all our hopes and dreams right there. And we got to be better, too. That’s on us.”
Karras is right. While Stewart hitting Burrow is inexcusable, the Bengals’ offensive line has got protect their Pro Bowl quarterback if Cincinnati is going to have success this season.
On the flip side, it appears that the Bengals’ defense might be on the rise under new defensive coordinator Al Golden. Along with Golden, Cincinnati has added several new faces to its defense that includes Stewart and fellow rookie linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr.
