Typically, it takes until training camp for NFL teams to start taking off the gloves and engaging in brawls. Full pads in the August heat are when tempers flare, and competitive athletes lose their cool as they compete for spots on the depth chart.
For the New York Giants, OTAs were their moment.
On Thursday, reports coming out of minicamp revealed that Giants players were going at it. According to the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy, there was a “full-scale fight” at Giants OTAs.
Indeed, punches were thrown.
We have a full scale fight at #Giants. Punches thrown.
— Ryan Dunleavy (@rydunleavy) June 5, 2025
No videos of the incident were taken, but a reporter in attendance noted that it might’ve started with Kayvon Thibodeaux and Jermaine Eluemunor. One play prior to their incident, James Hudson and Brian Burns had to be separated and pulled off the field.
Once the two went back on the field shortly after, the fight ensued.
Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
After the practice session, the veteran linebacker, Brian Burns, addressed the incident with reporters. He downplayed the situation, chalking it up to tempers simply flaring up on a hot day.
“The heat got to us,” Burns said with a chuckle.
“It’s just, you know, it’s a violent sport we play. Guys are trying to get better. Tensions raised, a little high heat. It’s getting a little hotter, so guys are getting more agitated, but it ain’t that deep. We squashed it.”
Burns is entering his second season with the Giants. Last year, Burns was included in an offseason trade between the Carolina Panthers and the Giants. Carolina dealt away Burns, along with the San Francisco 49ers’ 2024 fifth-round pick, in exchange for a second-round and fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
As soon as the Giants acquired Burns, the veteran linebacker acquired a five-year contract, which is worth $141 million, with nearly $90 million guaranteed.
In 2024, Burns appeared in 17 games. He had a career year in the tackling department, generating 71 tackles. He also notched 8.5 sacks. With the Giants struggling in 2024, finishing with a 3-14 record, Burns and his team certainly could use the early fire to help get them going for next year.
High tempers in football aren’t always viewed as a negative. Since it’s a physical sport, sometimes the extracurricular activities come with the territory. In Burns’ eyes, it’s not a big deal. As he suggests, everything is squashed and all players involved are moving on, the Giants won’t allow the situation to build into something bigger than it seems.
