HENDERSON, Nev. -- Tempers flared during the Raiders' eighth training camp practice Friday.
Defensive end Maxx Crosby hit quarterback Kirk Cousins twice during the team period. And when Crosby hit Cousins' arm a second time, the 15-year veteran had had enough. Cousins got into Crosby's face, grabbing the All-Pro's jersey, while both exchanged words before it was broken up.
Raiders coach Klint Kubiak said it's a part of camp, but he wants his players to be smart when those situations occur.
"Those are two leaders on our team going at it," Kubiak said. "Obviously, fighting in a game [or] you throw a punch in a game, you are out of the game. So we got to be smart."
Tight end Michael Mayer said he likes that Cousins has that edge, especially being the starting quarterback.
"You want him to defend your team," Mayer said of Cousins. "He's always had [that edge] since the first day I met him when he came in here."
Ahead of training camp, Crosby said the coaching staff warned him about touching the quarterback. They are fully aware of the passion and intensity that Crosby brings to practice, and know he can occasionally cross the line.
Crosby has been that way since college. He mentioned there were times when Eastern Michigan coach Chris Creighton had to kick him out of practice for being too aggressive.
"When you get out there and bullets are flying, I'm not thinking about not finishing the play. That's just not in my nature," Crosby said at the start of training camp. "That's something I've been dealing with my whole career. It's not easy."
That wasn't the only scuffle to happen Friday. Defensive lineman Jonah Laulu punched second-year right guard Caleb Rogers earlier in practice.
"It's energy, man," Mayer said. "We don't want to be throwing punches, but I think on any padded day of camp there's going to be some [scuffles]."
