Tempers flare as Baltimore Ravens practice with Indianapolis Colts
Baltimore Ravens second-year cornerback Nate Wiggins was thrown out of their joint practice with the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday, after coming from the sidelines and throwing punches at the Under Armour Performance Center.
The Colts return to Owings Mills, Maryland, more than 41 years after the franchise moved to Indianapolis, was disrupted briefly by a skirmish among the teams.
"Nobody wants to fight," said Ravens running back Derrick Henry. "Things get chippy, [and] guys talk. That stuff happens all the time. We know we've all got each other's backs. It's just competing. Sometimes it gets the best of us, but we know it's all fun and games at the end of the day; we all just want to get better."
The altercation started during a punt return drill when Colts running back Tyler Goodson was shoved late by Ravens cornerback Keyon Martin.
Goodson shoved back before Wiggins rushed in from the sidelines and threw several punches.
"It's always special teams," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "I always happened in these practices on special teams, and usually it's the gunners. You can chalk it up that it is going to happen because it is one of those full-field, really competitive drills."
Fights during joint practices
Fights have become a part of joint practices, based on the competitive nature.
The players are finally going up against different opponents, and they are battling for jobs.
"You can't get out of a joint practice without a fight," said Colts safety Camryn Bynum. "Obviously, it's going to get chippy, especially during the special teams phase. That's a staple in joint practices."
The Ravens were involved in a joint practice skirmish with the Washington Commanders in 2023. In 2018, the Ravens and Colts were involved in a scrum during a joint practice.
"I'm chilling"
As many of the players for both teams congregated near the fight on Tuesday, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson said he was just minding his business.
"I'm chilling," Jackson said. "I know the cameras (are) on all of us, so I can't really do too much. But I feel like our guys handled their own."
Ravens' Nnamdi Madubuike said he was far away from the fight.
"I didn't see exactly what happened," Madubuike said. "I heard Nate (Wiggins) was slugging somebody or something. I don't know, but it was crazy."
Former Terp back in Maryland
Former Maryland Terrapin safety Nick Cross is back in Maryland with the Colts.
He was second on the Colts with 146 tackles in 2024. He also had a sack, six tackles for loss, three interceptions, and a forced fumble.
The Colts' defense ended the joint practice with two interceptions.
Lamar Jackson returns to practice
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was back at practice after missing Monday with an excused absence.
Jackson said joint practices are like preseason games for him because he hasn't played in the preseason in years.
"Because we don't see these guys every day, we get to see different looks from different guys, different types of coverages, see how different guys guard different people, different blitzes, and stuff like that," Jackson said. "So, definitely, we get a lot out of these types of joint practices."
In 2024, Jackson, a two-time NFL MVP, passed for 4,172 yards with 41 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also rushed for 915 yards.
Ravens' preseason slate
The Baltimore Ravens will play the Indianapolis Colts at 7 p.m. on Thursday at M&T Bank Stadium in the first preseason game.
Head coach John Harbaugh has already announced that his starters will not play. Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Anthony Richardson will start at quarterback over Daniel Jones.
The Ravens follow with two road preseason games, in Dallas on August 16, and at Washington on August 23.