Giants OTA Session Cut Short as Fights Erupt: Heat and Tensions Blamed

Things got heated—literally and figuratively—at the New York Giants' offseason training session on Thursday. With temperatures soaring to around 90 degrees, tempers flared, leading to not one, but two skirmishes that forced head coach Brian Daboll to call it a day early.

The first clash involved edge rusher Brian Burns and left tackle James Hudson. The two got into a shoving match, helmets came off, and it looked like punches might fly. Thankfully, teammates stepped in to cool things down before it escalated further. Burns, speaking to reporters afterward, shrugged it off with a grin, admitting the 'heat got to us.' He emphasized the intensity of the sport, saying, 'It’s a violent game we play. Tensions run high, especially when it’s this hot. But we squashed it. It’s not that serious.'

However, the drama didn’t end there. On the very next play, another scuffle broke out between Kayvon Thibodeaux and offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor. Things turned physical when Thibodeaux threw a punch, and Hudson, still fired up from the sidelines, reportedly tackled Thibodeaux. Burns even jumped back into the fray. It was a full-on melee before order was restored.

While some might see this as a red flag, Burns offered a different perspective, suggesting a bit of fire can be a good thing. 'I feel like it’s healthy at times, to a certain extent,' he said. 'You still want to get your work done, though.' Quarterback Russell Wilson echoed the sentiment, downplaying the incidents as just part of the grind. 'When you have long practices like we did, things happen. Every great team I’ve been on has had a couple of these moments,' Wilson noted.

Still, Coach Daboll wasn’t taking any chances. With the team’s focus clearly compromised, he decided to end the session early. It’s a reminder that even in the offseason, the intensity of football can boil over—especially under a scorching sun.