Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers and Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby exchanged punches during Wednesday’s joint practice.
Akers was angry with Crosby chasing the tailback nearly 25 yards and attempting to strip the ball at the end of a play, according to the Los Angeles Times’ Gary Klein. The 5-foot-10, 215-pound Akers took umbrage with 6-foot-5, 255-pound Crosby for his effort.
A skirmish ensued and both teams clashed before being separated. Akers and Crosby spent the remainder of practice on the sidelines.
“I didn’t see exactly what happened when there was a little bit of a skirmish but, got it separated, it wasn’t an issue and we were able to get everything that we wanted accomplished and that’s the important thing,” Rams coach Sean McVay said.
When asked what led to the fracas, Crosby provided a straightforward response for his actions.
“S–t, I was just doing what I do, and he didn’t like that,” Crosby said, per NFL.com’s Nick Shook. “So, he got what he got. It is what it is.”
While Akers wasn’t made available to reporters after practice, he took to X, formerly known as Twitter, appearing to disagree with Crosby’s account of what happened before the dustup.
“Somebody ask him what it was I got? Anybody with eyes saw what happened,” Akers tweeted.
Crosby might have stirred things up to spark life into what was, up until that point, a listless session for the Raiders.”I was just doing what I do,” he said.
The Rams have garnered a reputation for fighting during joint practice sessions over the years. Ram star defensive tackle Aaron Donald swung his helmet during a practice brawl with the Cincinnati Bengals last year. However, fights between teams at joint sessions are now a common occurrence.
McVay isn’t happy about the melees, and the Rams coach is implementing a rule that any player at the center of a fight will be tossed from his practice.
The Rams will host the Raiders in Week 2 of the preseason on Saturday.