Jason Kelce sparks brawl during Colts & Eagles joint practice. What do we know?

It’s clear that heads and not just temperatures were hot during the teams’ joint session, and while there is no video evidence, multiple accounts suggest there was a massive altercation between them.

Colts & Eagles joint practice ends in brawl

Though details continue to emerge, what is clear is that a joint practice session between the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday saw an all-out brawl between the teams. Reportedly at the center of it all was the Eagles’ Jason Kelce, who after taking exception with a hit on running back, Kenneth Gainwell by Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin, “plowed” Franklin “into the ground.” According to reports, Kelce sparked what turned into a serious altercation with “every single player [was] on the field in a huge scuffle.” Needless to say, practice ended.

Jason Kelce admits he was wrong

To his credit, the All-Pro center didn’t deny his wrongdoing as he admitted to the press that “It was a cheap shot,” while also praising Franklin and the Colts’ defensive line.

“Tensions got the better of me,” Kelce said. “We try and keep things civil on the field, and for me, I pride myself on being a guy that sustains the emotions and level of play out there. I let my emotions get the better of me. That certainly doesn’t belong out there on the field, and a little bit ashamed that it got to that level, that I did what I did. Certainly, not happy about that. ...I think very highly of the guys who were out there, particularly 44, Zaire. I think he’s a tremendous player. I think all of their guys up front, they brought a lot of intensity to the day, which made practice intense. I didn’t handle things properly.”

“I want to reiterate that that’s not something that I should have done or should happen out there. It was a cheap shot.”

What did Zaire Franklin have to say?

Unfortunately, Franklin didn’t provide us with the kind of pre-bout posturing that we were hoping for. Instead, he chose to go the road of poise and professionalism, with a dash of foreboding. A Philadelphia native, Franklin spoke of watching Kelce’s star rise prior to beginning his own career in the NFL, while remaining diplomatic on the notion of the tension involved in a joint practice.

“When you have joint practices against other organizations, sometimes your speed ain’t their speed,” Franklin said. “People get offended. That’s life. ...Growing up in Philly, watching him for a long time — lot of respect for him. Talked to him a little bit after we played them last year. I thought the OGs would at least look me in the eye before, but it’s all good. I might get a chance to look him in the eye Thursday, so we’ll be OK.” Yes, the Colts and Eagles play on Thursday at 8:00 p.m. ET, and yes we think it’s going to be heated. There’s every likelihood that neither Kelce nor Franklin will play due to the fact that starters don’t typically play in the final week of preseason, but with pregame dram like what we just witnessed, it’s bound to be epic anyway so who cares?