Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy says a recent incident involving Cowboys defensive tackle Albert Huggins was unacceptable.
Huggins collided with a Los Angeles Rams intern during a drill, knocking the smaller staff member to the ground at a joint practice Wednesday.
McCarthy addressed the incident on Thursday.
“Obviously, his behavior is unacceptable,” McCarthy said, via ESPN's Todd Archer. “It's something that's been addressed. He's apologized and I'm comfortable with his apology. Obviously I was on the offensive side of the field when it happened.
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Head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys during a joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams during training camp on August 8, 2024, in Oxnard, California. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
McCarthy added that he consulted with Rams coaches Sean McVay and Mike Zimmer about next steps after the initial hit.
“I had a chance to talk to Mike Zimmer and Sean McVay. When it happened, we pulled him from practice,” McCarthy said. “Frankly, when I watched the video a few hours after practice, I called Sean again. His response was, 'You would have been proud of the way your coaches reacted.' I just want to make sure that that behavior is unacceptable. Emotional discipline in that moment. That's not what we do, and he clearly understands that.”
Coaches kept the incident from escalating. There were some heated exchanges between Rams and Cowboys players and coaches on the field, but the drill continued as usual afterward.
An equipment intern was reportedly replacing a quarterback in the pocket for a drill. The hit came on a play in which Huggins charged at Rams guard Grant Miller. When he got to the backfield, Huggins finished the play, walked up to the intern and shoved him to the ground.
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Huggins, 27, is 6-foot-3, 300 pounds and has no career sacks. He signed with the Cowboys on Aug. 6 after a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons in 2023. He previously played for the New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots and the Cowboys’ archrival Philadelphia Eagles, where he began his career after going undrafted in 2019 out of Clemson.
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy in the second half of a preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on August 11, 2024, in Inglewood, California. (Ronald Martínez/Getty Images)
The Rams were coming off a 13-12 preseason win over the Cowboys on Sunday.
The two teams are not scheduled to meet in the regular season this year. However, both could be contenders for a playoff spot and a possible postseason matchup.
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