Joint practices are 'FIGHT factories' says Pat McAfee, as some call for Aaron Donald to be suspended after helmet-wielding incident and skirmishes continue to occur during training camp

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Ex-Colts punter Pat McAfee has denounced those calling for Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald to be suspended after swinging a helmet at Bengals players, as he thinks joint practices encourage fighting and shouldn't be compared to games.

Donald shocked fans Thursday when he ripped off the helmet of a Bengals player and swung it at Cincinnati players during a joint practice.

That led to fans as well as media calling for Donald to be suspended, especially given the precedent set by the six-game punishment served by the Browns' Myles Garrett after he swung a helmet at Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph in 2019.

Aaron Donald's actions at practice this week have some calling for him to be suspended

But McAfee does not think Donald's actions should warrant the same consequences Garrett received.

'That was a game, that was primetime football,' he said on his Pat McAfee show podcast. This is practice. We've seen fights at every single joint practice thus far.'

He continued on Twitter: 'I do not believe wielding helmets should become a regular thing… Feels like something serious and devastating could certainly happen that none of us would want BUT.. I have a MASSIVE belief that joint practices are actual fight factories.'

Pat McAfee spoke up for the defensive star and explained how practices encourage fights

While Donald's helmet wielding was a bit extreme, McAfee was right that violence has been far from an isolated incident this offseason.

The Patriots and Panthers fought several times during their joint practices, while the Cowboys and Broncos also went at it.

Giants, Jets and Bills players have fought amongst themselves as well. 

'You've heard a lot of players come out and say, "these joint practices are the devil's work. These joint practices are set up for fights." That's all it is,' McAfee said.

'Players, they'll know going in, "imma' fight somebody today." It's always a fight... when there's a lot of money on the line, when there's a lot to prove on the line, there's only a limited amount of spots, and you're going against somebody on another team that you're not supposed to care about.

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) swings at Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) with Rudolph's own helmet with 0:08 seconds left in the fourth quarter of the National Football League game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns on November 14, 2019. Garrett was ultimately suspended six games over the incident 

'... And you involve a very physical sport, there's gonna get tensions, they're gonna get too high, they're gonna boil, and then there's gon' be s***.

'If we start punishing practice reps - even though it's been made public and a national thing - I think you're going one thing down another. 

'Are we starting to negotiate then for what happens in practice? Because I was always told the game's the game, Sunday's what matters.'

Despite the chorus of people calling for Donald to be punished, it didn't appear after the incident Thursday that Rams head coach Sean McVay would discipline his defensive star.

'Fortunately, my understanding is nobody got hurt and we'll move on from it,' he said.  'Not going to make a bigger deal than what it is.'