The Washington Redskins and the New York Jets held their first of three joint practices ahead of their preseason game Thursday and the fireworks got started right out of the gate.
According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Jets cornerback Trumaine Johnson hit Redskins offensive lineman Morgan Moses after a play, inciting a brawl between the two teams that disrupted the practice. The fight reportedly spilled over into the stands where fans were watching. After order was finally restored, a torrential rainstorm delayed the practice for another 20 minutes.
Johnson, the Jets player who made the initial hit, attempted to talk to the media during the break, but a Jets PR staffer pushed him towards the locker room, saying that Johnson had to lift weights.
“It was a friendly competition,” Johnson yelled as he was steered away.
Redskins tight end Jordan Reed had a different take, calling Johnson’s hit disrespectful.
“You never want to hit a guy after the play,” Reed said. “That’s disrespectful to all of us. We’re all professional athletes.”
Tension between the Redskins offense and the Jets defense seemed to be the theme of the day as the two units were reportedly going at each other tooth and nail even before the brawl broke out.
“Every time I turned around, they were over there fighting each other,” said Washington cornerback Josh Norman. “It’s tough to go out there and try to get good work in when guys look at you differently and go a little bit harder than expected.”