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Sometimes friendly fire crosses the line into a full-on altercation. That’s exactly what appears to have happened during Buffalo Bills practice on Tuesday at One Bills Drive. Per corroberating reports from News 4 CBS sports reporter Heather Prusak and WGR550 Bills Beat and Sideline reporter Sal Capaccio, it seems linebacker Tyrel Dodson and right tackle Spencer Brown took exception with one another. Dodson was observed at one point swinging a helmet around. Quarterback Josh Allen and Dodson exchanged heated words following the “melee,” and linebackers coach Bobby Babich was later seen having to calm Dodson down.
Big fight during #Bills practice today as Tyrel Dodson and Spencer Brown got into it. At one point Dodson was swinging a helmet around and Josh Allen was livid, screaming at him to cut it out. Dodson stormed off and LB coach Bobby Babich had to go calm him down.
— Heather Prusak (@haprusak) August 15, 2023
It was a very intense Bills practice. There was a big melee and at one point someone had a helmet and was swinging it over top of the pile. Josh Allen and Tyrel Dodson (who got into it with Spencer Brown at the start) had a VERY heated exchange when everyone separated.
— Sal Capaccio (@SalSports) August 15, 2023
When Allen met with the Media after Tuesday’s session, very animated arguments were audible from the practice field just outside the field house. As players made their way into the field house, those arguments grew louder and Allen’s ability to tune out the noise became too much, yelling “hey!” in their direction as they came within a stone’s throw of the indoor press space.
You can hear for yourself, as shared by WKBW sports director Matthew Bové.
I thought today was the most heated day of training camp. So I asked Josh if he thought there was some added intensity today & as he was finishing answering the question....wait for it....there was more bickering in the background from the offense & defense #BillsMafia @WKBW pic.twitter.com/to9ZJ7lNjz
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) August 15, 2023
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of very heated exchanges between Bills teammates, and it’s certain not to be the last. Remember Allen and defensive tackle Jordan Phillips got into it around this point in the summer last season. But this time, Allen recognized that it seemed to be one of the most consistently intense sessions he could recall.
At this time of the year, intensity is through the roof for teams. Players are aggressively trying to make a positive impression on the coaching staff, hoping to earn a starting role on the team in 2023.
Arguments aren’t bad, and at the end of the day they tend to work themselves out without issue moving forward.
3:21 p.m. update:
Tyrel Dodson posted the following in response to allegations of him wildly swinging his helmet:
Tossing an helmet back to my teammate is different than swinging it as an weapon. Heated competition. We’re all ready to play someone else. Iron sharpens iron.
— Tyrel Dodson (@tdots25) August 15, 2023
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