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Jake Trotter, ESPN Staff Writer
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr. was injured during a skirmish that broke out between the offense and defense in the team’s final practice at the Greenbrier resort Sunday.
Coach Kevin Stefanski had no immediate update on Wheatley’s injury. Immediately after the fight, Stefanski ended practice early and had the players run sprints. Meanwhile, Wheatley hobbled to the locker room with the training staff.
Cleveland’s practice heated up earlier when defensive end Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and right tackle James Hudson exchanged blows. Okoronkwo slapped Hudson’s face mask and ran away. Hudson chased Okoronkwo down and punched him in the helmet. That led to the first fight.
Moments later, the offense and defense got into another fight leading to Wheatley’s injury, though it was unclear what started it.
“Fighting, skirmishes, jawing happens in every training camp at every level of football,” Stefanski said afterward. “They’re tired, they’re hot, they’ve been going against each other, so I’m not surprised at that at all. They talked about it. It’s over. We don’t throw punches, so I’ll review that stuff, and there’s obviously penalties.
“If you’re throwing punches in games, you get thrown out of the game. So why practice something that would get you thrown out of a game? So, we will address that, obviously, but I don’t think anybody’s ever been around a bunch of football players in the heat that don’t get a little agitated, if you will.”
Wheatley, 26, was previously on the Chicago Bears practice squad. He signed with the Browns earlier this year. He is the son of former Michigan standout and NFL running back Tyrone Wheatley. He also played in college at Michigan, then Stony Brook and eventually Morgan State, where his dad was the head coach.
The Browns have one practice this week, on Tuesday in Berea, Ohio, before the Hall of Fame Game against the New York Jets on Thursday night.