Getty Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett walks.
The Denver Broncos continued training camp on Saturday, August 6, and a fight broke out. Defensive end McTelvin Agim and offensive guard Ben Braden were involved in the altercation. Agim threw multiple punches, according to Mike Klis of 9news.
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Broncos: Nathaniel Hackett Quickly Handled the Fight
Head coach Nathaniel Hackett stepped in and talked with both Agim and Braden. Agim, Braden, and Hackett had a group hug at the end of the conversation per team reporter Aric DiLalla.
Hackett spoke about the fight after practice. He said that he kicked both players off the field.
“I just kicked those guys off the field,” Hackett said per Klis. “In the end, that’s what happens in a game. In a game, if something like that happens, somebody’s out, potentially, for the whole game, and it hurts the team. We talk about the team. It’s all about the team. I know that it’s a heated battle out there, but it’s all about controlled aggression. No matter what happens, you can’t throw a punch. You can’t do anything like that. That’s not what we want. That’s not what we coach.”
Eventually, Hackett allowed both players to return.
“After that, we kind of talked, cleared the air, [and] made sure they were all good,” Hackett added. “They were able to come back onto the field.”
Broncos: A Quick Look at Agim and Braden
Agim was a third-round pick by the Broncos in 2020. Despite his draft stock, Agim has played sparingly on defense. Over two seasons, he has played only 231 total defensive snaps. Overall, he has recorded 12 combined tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two passes defended.
In his short time on the field, Agim has posted low PFF grades. Last season, he had an overall PFF grade of 45.3. Agim is still only 24 years old, and he has not really gotten a lot of opportunities to prove himself. He is a player to watch during the preseason.
Meanwhile, Braden went undrafted in the 2017 NFL draft. He was signed by the New York Jets. Braden went on to appear in two games for the Jets in 2018 and one game in 2019. However, he played exclusively on special teams.
Braden then had a short stint with the New England Patriots before joining the Green Bay Packers. In 2020, Braden played in four games for the Packers. In 2021, he played 9 games for the franchise.
In Green Bay, Braden was mainly a special teams player. Across two seasons, he played 90 special teams snaps for the Packers. On offense, he played only eight total snaps during that span. All eight of those snaps were run block snaps per PFF.
During the offseason, the Broncos signed Braden to a one-year deal. Hackett is very familiar with Braden, as Hackett was the Packers’ offensive coordinator for the past three years.
Braden will compete to make the roster, but he will face plenty of competition. The Broncos currently have seven guards on their roster.
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Fight Breaks Out During Broncos’ Training Camp: Report