WATCH: Steelers training camp devolves into second day of fights as DE DeMarvin Leal brawls out
Mulitple fights have broken out during the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, and while Mike Tomlin sort of downplayed the issue, some doubts have been expressed.
After the play ended, DE DeMarvin Leal was involved in afight that took several minutes to separate. It was the second fighting incident after Elandon Roberts and Troy Fautanu were involved in a brawl on Wednesday.
Other players involved in the scuffle were Logan Lee and Anderson Hardy, but Leal was spotted throwing another player down. The team was not practicing in pads.
Why are training camp fights common in the NFL? Should the Steelers be concerned?
Fights happening in training camp have been reported for decades. Players are competing for jobs; there are 90 players on every roster, but only 53 positions. Football is a contact sport, it's expected to see fights break out during camp.
However, some Steelers have expressed a lack of concern. Linebacker T.J. Watt had no problems with the fight happening:
“As long as there is good meaning behind it,” Watt said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “Sometimes you need to stoke the fire to see what we are about as a team. That is all today was about. We don’t want it to continue and mess up practice.”
For Pittsburgh, two straight fights in two straight days might bring some conversations in meetings before Friday's practice.