The big story out of Wednesday morning's joint practice between the 49ers and Texans was a heated scuffle between San Francisco cornerback Jimmie Ward and Houston wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Punches flew between the two after Hopkins' helmet flew off during a hard jam on the first play of team drills. Both players were benched for the remainder of practice.
"It's a missed opportunity on a bunch of levels," defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said after practice. "One, you don't get to face a guy like Hopkins. It's a trickle-down effect. Now other people need to pick up Jimmie's reps, and I'm sure on their side, receivers had to pick up for Hopkins.
"It's something that they've got to be aware of. It's a real thing. When you get ejected in a game, it's a trickle-down effect all the way through."
.@DeAndreHopkins and @49ers DB Jimmie Ward throw punches at @HoustonTexans training camp. @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/I0Xw12g20Z
— Alex Radow (@alexradow) August 15, 2018
First play with Texans receivers vs 49ers secondary, @DeAndreHopkins gets into a scrap! pic.twitter.com/lTrpuq6ZJe
— SportsTalk 790 (@SportsTalk790) August 15, 2018
Saleh didn't seem too concerned about the fight, saying that head coach Kyle Shanahan will talk with Ward about it. The defensive coordinator believes that it was just the competitiveness in both players that resulted in the heated scuffle and said the two even shook hands afterward.
"It was the first play, a little scuffle," Saleh said. "And we made it clear if anyone throws punches or you do anything that will get you ejected in a game, you'll be done with practice. Both players were removed from practice and, hopefully, they've learned from it and can come back tomorrow and practice."
Texans head coach Bill O'Brien told reporters on Tuesday that he and Shanahan are in agreement on the policy.
"If they do anything that would get them ejected in a game, Kyle and I have already agreed on that," O'Brien said. "Anything that would get them ejected in a game will get them ejected from practice."
Both made good on their words. According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Hopkins left the practice field for the Texans and headed back to the locker room while Ward sat out the session for the 49ers.
The next practice between the two squads is scheduled for Thursday at 9:15 a.m. CT (7:15 a.m. PT) at the Houston Methodist Training Center. The 49ers and Texans will play in an exhibition game at NRG Stadium on Saturday night.
