Shemar Stewart didn’t mean to do it, but his bump into Joe Burrow set off a scuffle at practice Wednesday. The rookie edge rusher addressed what happened 48 hours later, saying “the ground gave way” under his foot on a stunt, and he lost his balance while rushing Burrow up the middle.
“I had my head down, and I couldn’t really see where I was going. All I knew is I was falling,” Stewart said Friday, via Jay Morrison of SI.com. “[Then the next you know](https://www.si.com/nfl/bengals/bengals-rookie-shemar-stewart-talks-mistake-the-fight-and-what-joe-burrow-told-him-after-all-of-it-01k2qdvbvx6d). . . .”
Right guard Lucas Patrick defended his quarterback a few plays later, which center Ted Karras called a warranted response.
Stewart later apologized to Burrow.
“I said ‘You know, Joe, it was an accident. You know I never meant to do that,’” Stewart said. “He said, ‘It’s cool as long as you do it on Sundays, too.’ He kept it cool and short and sweet, and we just forgot about it.”
Stewart said although it was an accident, he won’t let it happen again.
“We know not to touch the main guy,” Stewart said. “I slipped. Next time I should just fall out of the way or something. I learned.”