Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Jason Kelce apologised on Tuesday after sparking a mass brawl that brought a joint practice with the Indianapolis Colts to an abrupt halt.
Kelce triggered fighting amongst players from both sides after flattening Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin during a practice game.
The 35-year-old six-time Pro Bowler, who appeared to be acting in retaliation after seeing Franklin make a late hit on Eagles running back Kenny Gainwell, admitted after the melee that he had lost control.
“Tensions just got the better of me,” Kelce told reporters. “Certainly we try and keep things civil on the field.
“For me I pride myself on being a guy that sustains emotion and a level of play out there. But I let my emotions get the better of me. That certainly doesn’t belong out there on the field.
“Little bit ashamed that it got to that level, that I did what I did. Certainly, not happy about that. I didn’t handle things properly there at the end.”
Franklin meanwhile brushed off the incident, saying he believed the Eagles had been frustrated by the tempo of the Colts’ game.
“When you have joint practices, sometimes your speed ain’t their speed,” Franklin told reporters. “People get offended. That’s life.”
The Colts face the Eagles in a pre-season game in Philadelphia on Thursday.
