Falcons Players Fighting at Practice 'Went a Little Too Far,' Says DC Jeff Ulbrich

Sunday's practice for the Atlanta Falcons was highlighted by multiple fights between the offensive and defensive units, and the coaching staff is understandably not pleased.

Per ESPN's Marc Raimondi, there were "several skirmishes" during Sunday's training camp session. Rookie edge rusher James Pearce Jr. was involved in a pair of fights on back-to-back plays.

Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich explained that the team is still trying to find the balance between playing with aggression and taking care of one another.

"We're trying to develop a culture, a style of play for sure, and part of that is the violence with which we play and aggression, the urgency and all that," Ulbrich said. "Today, at times, it went a little too far and we've got to learn how to manage that."

Ulbrich added: "You're going to get agitated and, especially when you're playing really good defense, the offense is going to get very agitated, so you've got to anticipate punches being thrown, things being said, people getting pushed. In those moments, you got to thrive and not retaliate and so it's a good lesson to be learned today."

For Pearce, Raimondi pointed out that the 2025 No. 26 pick "has been playing extremely hard from the jump in practice and seems to have a chip on his shoulder." Ulbrich praised Pearce's passion but acknowledged that he needs to learn to control it.

"He's prideful as it gets," Ulbrich said. "He loves this game. He's got deep love for his teammates … and he wants to come out here and create a strong impression on everybody -- and himself included -- that he can do this. And you do this at a high level, and I think when you're in that place of just every ounce of your body's trying to prove who you are, sometimes it gets to that place where it can get a little wacky sometimes. His anger got the best of him a little bit and it is going to be a great learning experience for him."