When push comes to shove
Punches also are thrown as WR Hopkins, 49ers DB Ward get into fight in joint practice
Tempers boiled over and fists flew in the Texas heat Wednesday morning as a scuffle broke out during the start of a joint training camp practice between the Texans and the San Francisco 49ers.
The combatants: Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins and 49ers defensive back Jimmie Ward.
When Ward knocked off Hopkins’ helmet during a passing drill in one-on-one coverage, Hopkins caught the pass.
Ward appeared to taunt Hopkins and pushed him first. Hopkins retaliated with a shove to Ward’s chest before throwing a punch.
Ward then landed some punches, with more punches exchanged by both players before they went crashing to the ground.
The brawl was eventually broken up as teammates and staff intervened.
Hopkins was ejected from practice and sent inside to the practice bubble. Ward remained on the field, but he wasn’t allowed to practice and just ran on the side.
Hopkins and Ward later shook hands and put their disagreement
behind them, according to 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
Texans coach Bill O’Brien wasn’t pleased about the skirmish, especially since he had warned his players that anything that would trigger an ejection during a game would cause an ejection in practice.
“Yeah, it’s ridiculous,” O’Brien said. “Just have to move on.”
That tempers boiled over during the heat against an actual opponent wasn’t a shock to O’Brien.
“No, nope,” O’Brien said. “Just have to move on.”
Hopkins and Ward weren’t available for comment after practice.
‘Trickle-down effect’
Saleh, a former Texans assistant, lamented the lost opportunity to work against a quality opponent like Hopkins.
“It’s a shame it was the first play, a little scuffle,” Saleh said. “We’ve made it very clear that if anyone throws punches or if you do anything that will get you ejected from the game, you’ll be done with practice. It’s a missed opportunity on a bunch of levels. One, you don’t get to face a guy like Hopkins.
“It’s a trickle-down effect. Now, other people need to pick up Jimmie’s reps. I’m sure receivers had to pick up for Hopkins. It’s something that they’ve got to be aware of. It’s a real thing when you get ejected in a game. Hopefully, both sides got the message and we can come out here and have a functional practice like we did.”
Saleh emphasized that he doesn’t believe there will be lingering hard feelings, though.
“I’m sure Jimmie is going to be just fine,” Saleh said. “Jimmie is such a big competitor and I’m sure he regrets it. Him and Hopkins ended up shaking hands afterwards anyway, so it was just the heat of the battle.”
The practice went on normally after the fight.
“Just competition, that’s all I’m really going to speak on that,” Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson said. “I guess it goes like that sometimes.”
Overall, O’Brien was pleased with the work the Texans got in against 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan’s team, which is expected to compete for the NFC West division title.
“Good work; it’s a good team to work with, very similar practice schedules,” O’Brien said. “Kyle’s a great guy, very easy to work with and got a lot of good things done.”
There was some spirited work between Texans defensive end J.J. Watt and 49ers rookie offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey.
During one play, Watt drove McGlinchey to the ground as he overwhelmed the young blocker. In another sequence, they stalemated. Coaches on the same page
Practice was physical, but it didn’t reach a point where it was dangerous.
A balance was struck between playing tough and not risking injuries.
O’Brien and Shanahan, a former Texans offensive coordinator, were in lockstep on how to approach the practice.
“It’s a real fine line,” O’Brien said. “You have to get your team ready for the callousness of the season, but at the same time, you’ve got to do a good job of monitoring reps and making sure guys are, in some way, shape or form, being taken care of, especially the veteran players — all of the players, really.
“We both preach, in practices like that, ‘thud,’ no live tackling, just be in the proper position to make the tackle, to make the block. They do a good job of trying to strip the ball, so we’re working on fundamentals there. I think guys really tried to stay on their feet. We both preach staying on your feet. Really good guy to work with.”
Watson enjoyed throwing against a talented secondary .
“Just find some new ways to get better,” Watson said. “Seeing different looks, going against different competition, different guys that are showing different techniques and just try to improve as an offense and build our chemistry going against other guys.”