Jalen Davis is not here for a calm training camp. After getting tangled up with Ja’Marr Chase on the first day of Bengals practice Wednesday, the cornerback didn’t just shrug it off. He asked for more.
“I hope there’s a fight every day,” Davis told reporters afterward. “To get the energy going, we’re just competing. That’s it.”
The scuffle started during a drill when Davis and Chase went facemask to facemask. An assistant coach had to step in and separate them. But Davis said it’s all part of the game and that both sides need that kind of heat.
“I always feel like the energy has got to be like that,” he said. “It’s got to be like that on both sides of the field.”
More than one scrap
Davis wasn’t done. Earlier in the same practice, he laid a hard tackle on tight end Mike Gesicki during a 7-on-7 period. Gesicki had words for Davis, and head coach Zac Taylor had to step in.
Then things really popped later. Chase and cornerback DJ Turner II got into a shoving match that turned into punches. Chase ripped off Turner’s helmet and hurled it across the field before teammates yanked them apart.
It was the kind of day that makes you wonder if something’s wrong. But the Bengals don’t see it that way.
Burrow and Turner back the heat
Joe Burrow addressed the incident in his post-practice presser and said it’s actually a good sign. “If the intensity’s not great on day one, then you’re in trouble,” he said. “Those are two of the best in the league, and they’re gonna be going at it every day. Whatever those guys need to get better, go ahead and do it.”
Turner, for his part, called it sibling rivalry. “Brothers fight, that’s all it is, brothers fight all the time,” he said.
Nobody’s claiming this is a problem. Chase is entering his sixth season, coming off a year where he caught 125 passes for 1,412 yards and eight touchdowns. Turner has emerged as one of Cincinnati’s top young defensive backs. Both guys are competitive, and training camp fights tend to blow over quickly.
But Davis wants to keep the fire burning. And if he gets his wish, there might be more helmet-tossing before the preseason even starts.
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