Cam Ward’s first-team work at Tennessee Titans training camp Monday featured five plays of quick-rhythm passing and a couple of fights that brought practice to a temporary halt.

Ward’s first snap was a checkdown to running back Tajae Spears underneath, where linebacker Cody Barton and Cedric Gray combined to stop him after a gain of about 10 yards. On the second play, Ward rolled right and found tight end Gunnar Helm in the flat for a short gain of 5 or 6 yards toward the sideline.

Quick passing game on display for Ward

Play three put Ward under center with running back Tony Pollard in the backfield. A quick slant to wide receiver Elic Ayomanor got inside the flat for a catch-and-run that could have gone for 10 yards, with safety Amani Hooker among the group closing from the inside.

On the defensive side, Jeffery Simmons lined up alongside Solomon Thomas, John Franklin-Myers, and Jermaine Johnson across the front, with JFM working on the outside. 

Ward took the next snap under center in what looked like a second-and-4 situation. He faked the handoff on play action, dropped deep, and eventually threw the ball out of bounds. He was looking for wide receiver Calvin Ridley, but Alontae Taylor stayed tight in coverage and never let Ward get a clean throw off.

Jeffery Simmons and JC Latham pulled out of pile, punch thrown

That’s when things got heated. A scuffle broke out initially between Simmons and center Austin Schlottman, and Simmons had his helmet pulled off. Though Schlottman appeared to be the initial sparring partner, tackles Dan Moore and JC Latham appeared to be the ones trying to break it up, which is when things elevated.

All three were pulled out of the pile by Asst. DL coach Tanzel Smart before going back at it again moments later, with a punch thrown by the helmetless Simmons. Robert Saleh wasn’t a fan, given the fact that after Monday’s practice he explicitly said just don’t throw punches.

The team reset for another snap with Ward back under center on a first-and-10 situation, and Pollard took a handoff before more fighting broke out. This time it was between Ayomanor and corner Marcus Harris.

Practice paused briefly. Saleh pulled everybody into a huddle for a cooldown, and the team eventually broke it down and went back to work. Training camp fights are inevitable, and this first one arrived right on schedule.

An eventful first five plays for Cam Ward!

Simmons sent to timeout 

Simmons missed next series for the first team Titans defense, on the side field going through drills by himself. 

Latham and Schlottman stayed in with Ward on the next practice reps. Dan Moore was seemingly sent inside. Simmons has yet to return to the live action at the time of publishing.

Robert Saleh addressed Simmons’ punch after Titans practice

“Our policy is if you if you throw a punch, you’re ejecting the game. Same thing with practice. If you throw a punch, you’re out of practice. But rather than going to the locker room, he went to the other fields. He still got his work in. So the projected reps and the work that he would have got in, he got in off to the side.”