Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said the recent incident involving Cowboys defensive tackle Albert Huggins was unacceptable.
Huggins collided with a Los Angeles Rams intern during a joint practice on Wednesday, knocking the diminutive staffer to the ground.
McCarthy spoke out about the incident on Thursday.
“Obviously, his behavior is unacceptable,” McCarthy said, via ESPN’s Todd Archer. “It’s an issue that has already been addressed. He’s apologized and I accept his apology. I was obviously on the offensive side of the field when it happened.”
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Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Dak Prescott during a joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams at training camp on August 8, 2024 in Oxnard, California. (Kevorkh 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 speak with Mike Zimmer and Sean McVay and that’s what happened, so we took him out of practice,” McCarthy said. “To be honest with you, when I saw the video a few hours after practice, I called Sean again and his response was, ‘Look at the way coach responded, you’d be proud.’ I just want to make sure that behavior is not tolerated. Emotional punishment in the moment. That’s not what we’re about and he clearly understands that.”
The coaching staff prevented the incident from escalating, and practice continued as normal after a heated exchange on the field between players and coaches from the Rams and Cowboys.
An equipment intern was reportedly standing in for the quarterback in the pocket for a drill. The hit occurred on a play in which Huggins made a run around Rams guard Grant Miller. As Miller entered the backfield, Huggins approached the intern and shoved him to the ground, ending the play.
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Huggins, 27, is 6-foot-3, weighs 305 pounds and has zero career sacks. He signed with the Cowboys on August 6 after playing one year with the Atlanta Falcons in 2023. He previously played for the New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots and the Cowboys’ arch-rival, the Philadelphia Eagles. He went undrafted out of Clemson University in 2019 and began his career with the Eagles.
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy during the second half of a preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on August 11, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Rams were fresh 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, but both could be competing for playoff spots and could meet in the postseason.
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