Rams to discipline players internally for brawl with Bengals

A third scuffle escalates into a brawl during a joint preseason camp practice between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022. Practice was ended early after a third scuffle turned into a broader fight between players on both teams. Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Rams to keep any discipline 'in-house' for Aaron Donald and others involved in practice fight with Bengals

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 8/26/22

After engaging in a fight-filled joint practice with the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday, the Los Angeles Rams are now attempting to deal with the fallout.

Regarding discipline, the onus fell on the Rams with the NFL's hands seemingly tied. On Friday, the Rams said they plan to address the matter "internally" and that any suspensions will remain "in-house."

Statement from a Rams spokesperson regarding whether Aaron Donald or any Rams players would be disciplined by team for role in Thursday’s practice fight with Bengals: “The incident will be addressed internally, and any discipline will remain in-house.”
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) August 26, 2022

While plenty of Rams were involved in dust-ups during the practice, All-Pro DT Aaron Donald stood out, and not in a good way.

Donald was involved in the first scrap of the session, which allegedly sparked after some jawing between Bengals offensive tackle La'El Collins and Rams defensive end Leonard Floyd.

Footage showed Donald ripping helmets off Bengals players and swinging them around as a weapon shortly before the practice was shut down. Donald's meltdown had many calling for a similar suspension to the one Cleveland Browns' edge rusher Myles Garrett received.

However, with the Rams keeping things close to the vest, it's unlikely Donald, or any other player, will receive a harsh punishment.

Rams announcing Aaron Donald and other players involved in Thursday's fracas will be "addressed internally and any discipline will remain in-house." That certainly suggests by the nature of language there will be no game suspension coming. Not that that was ever on the table.
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) August 26, 2022

Current and former NFL players have chimed in after the incident. Free-agent linebacker Will Compton said Donald should be "charged with assault," while Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward called joint practices a two-and-a-half-hour "wrestling match."

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