It was a first-round pick on first-round pick affair when things got a bit heated at Saints camp during the first padded practice between rookie tackle Trevor Penning and second-year DE Payton Turner.
It's unclear what led to the dustup, but it came at the tail-end of an 11-on-11 rep toward the end of the day's abbreviated practice. Penning held off Turner on a speed rush outside, and finished the play off to the echo of the whistle, with Turner taking a swing on the way out.
The pair shared a few shoves and less-than-kind jabs before walking in their separate directions. Can't see the video below? Click here.
But Penning was quick to downplay the altercation. This is football. That's how it goes.
"It's football. We're competing. It's a tough game for tough people," Penning said. "You've got to be able to take that. I mean, there's no bad blood between us. We're just competitors competing."
Regardless it'll be a matchup to watch going forward, particularly one the added-physicality days when the pads are on. Penning's mean streak as a blocker that followed him to New Orleans from Northern Iowa wasn't completely apparent throughout minicamp and OTAs and first several camp practices, but that seemed to change a bit when the pads came on.
Turner to his credit has been one of the standout players of camp thus far as he heads into Year 2 after an injury-shortened rookie campaign. Penning touted Turner's speed as a rusher and teammates have lauded his hand usage. This is a battle we'll likely be watching for years to come.
The Saints are back in pads three more times things week, including Tuesday for the second consecutive day.
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