The symptoms of summer have already arrived at New York Giants camp.
At organized team activities (OTAs), New York got in some team drills as it ramps up towards training camp. Toward the end of practice, exhausted by the hot weather, a skirmish broke out and eventually evolved into a bigger fight.
Headlined by edge rusher Brian Burns, the fight ended Giants practice early.
According to Connor Hughes, Burns sprinted from the sideline to take down backup left tackle James Hudson III, who signed in the offseason. Edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux got into it with tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, and the veteran linemen soon escalated things.
After practice, Burns reacted to the fight.
“The only thing I'm mad about is we had to go ahead and call it up,” he said, via the Associated Press. “But, I mean, we got most of our work done today. But I just want to stay away from that, and I'm going to let it be known to the team, like, that's not what we're doing. We've got to keep our minds set on the main thing, which is football. All that horseplay and all that stuff is cool or whatever, a nice edge and everything like that, but we do have to get to the details and get our work done.”
Burns isn’t just the most proven pass rusher and the most expensive player on the Giants’ defense. He’s also a veteran leader, and that came through with his comments.
His first order of business was damage control.
“I mean, it's just, it's a violent sport we play,” Burns said. “You know, guys trying to get better. Tensions raised a little high. The heat is getting a little hotter, so guys get a little more agitated. But it ain't that deep. We squashed it.”
Simply put, this isn’t something New York has to worry about. Fights happen, both before joint practices and during them. Tensions run hot, people get tired, and the physicality of the sport ups the ante. People are fighting for jobs and pride, and they are all months away from actually being able to take it out on somebody.
“I feel like it's healthy, at times,” Burns said. “I feel like it's healthy to a certain extent, though. You still want to get your work done at the end of the day, but that competition and that dog, that edge, that we need to have is needed. Got to keep it up.”
There is plenty of time for the locker room to gel and for the Giants to be better for their skirmishes. For now, it’s a flash of something newsworthy while the offseason’s dead period carries on. Needless to say, it will be something fans keep an eye on as practices continue. The Giants, naturally, aren’t too worried.
“This ain't nothing but a little brotherhood.”