Four New York Giants got into a fight during Friday’s voluntary practice, promptly ending the critical opportunity for the team to get together three months before the start of the season.
The combatants were all in the trenches in a pair of matchups with one from both sides of the ball – defensive linemen Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns, individually squaring off with Jermaine Eluemunor and James Hudson III.
Burns and Hudson started the dust-up by taking off their helmets and about to throw hands before teammates broke it up on the penultimate play of the day.
On the final showing of Thursday’s practice, Thibodeaux punched Eluemunor’s helmet off.
Hudson rushed the field and shoved Thibodeaux, with Burns and Hudson tackling each other to ground seconds after.
No immediate videos of the fights were publicly shared. The Giants did hold a media availability after the brawl, with Burns speaking.
New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll ended practice on Thursday after multiple fights
Giants defender Brian Burns was one of the fighters, squaring off with James Hudson III
‘It’s a violent sport we play, guys trying to get better,’ Burns said on the fights. ‘Tensions raised a little high. It’s getting a little hot, so guys are getting a little agitated. But it ain’t that deep, we squashed it.’
Burns later added he would keeping the main focus of practices on getting better and not letting it get out of hand with fighting.
Gridiron fights in the offseason is not atypical of the NFL but it is more common of joint practices. It is even more rare during OTAs.
The Giants prematurely ended a practice as the rest of the NFC East gets better around them, including the two teams from last year’s conference championship – the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders.
None of the fighters have been with the team for long, a bigger indicator of the turnover the team has faced in trying to get back into playoff contention.
