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Turron Davenport
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tempers flared during a 96-degree day at Tennessee Titans training camp as quarterback Cam Ward and defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons got into a scuffle Monday.
Ward threw a touchdown pass to Calvin Ridley toward the end of practice and went to celebrate. The rookie quarterback stopped and gave Simmons a shove before doing his trademark “Zombieland” celebration in front of him. Simmons reacted with a two-hand push to Ward’s facemask, and the offensive line ran to Ward’s defense.
“Absolutely not,” left tackle Dan Moore Jr. said of allowing anyone to touch the quarterback. “That goes without saying.”
Simmons and Ward were separated, but that was after Simmons’ helmet was pushed off during the scuffle. Ward returned for the next play while Simmons came off the field. Practice was over two plays later. Titans coach Brian Callahan had the team run after practice.
“You get that same attitude, confidence, that same edge every day out of those two guys,” cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. said. “That’s what you expect. But when it does happen with the quarterback, you got to break it up as soon as possible. But brothers fight.”
Ridley’s touchdown and the ensuing confrontation between Ward and Simmons occurred on the next play after running back Julius Chestnut reached the end zone on a short run. Chestnut bounced outside off a block by right tackle JC Latham that took Simmons out of the play. Latham talked trash to Simmons all the way to the huddle after that score.
Simmons has been engaged in an ongoing trash-talking session with the entire offense, but mostly Latham and Ward. Neither Ward nor Simmons spoke to the media after the practice session.
“You never want to see your quarterback in the middle of those kinds of things,” Brownlee said. “But when it does happen, it shows you the kind of dog he has in him. He ain’t going to take nothing.”