Things have been heated over the first week of Detroit Lions training camp, and so much so that head coach Dan Campbell has had to pause practice on multiple occasions to get things under control.
On Tuesday, Campbell was forced to kick second-year defensive back Norice Morris out of practice after he was getting too physical in the session.
Then, on Thursday, things got chippy again, with safety Brian Branch and Amon-Ra St. Brown getting into it “multiple times,” per Colton Pouncy of The Athletic.
The Lions head coach once again paused the session and tried to calm things down.
Campbell addressed the situation when meeting with the media on Friday and noted that while he likes the intensity, he doesn’t want to see any fights.
“You’d rather pull back than constantly prod and try to push and, ‘We need more.’ … I love the way our team practices,” Campbell said, according to Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News. “But we’re not here to fight, because ultimately, you waste so much time.”
Hopefully Lions players will dial it back just a bit to the point where the practices remain physical and aggressive, but without fighting. What is a good sign from all this is that Lions players are clearly VERY hungry after a disappointing 2024.
Things are going to ramp up on Friday, though, as the practice will be Detroit’s first padded session of training camp, something Campbell said he’s excited about.
“This is where you find out who’s who,” Campbell said, per ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. “This is how the game is played and it’s played in pads so we’re excited.”
