Overview

• Cam Ward spoke for the first time since Monday’s dust-up, praising Jeffery Simmons and calling the exchange competitive, while saying it was “what we needed,” per ESPN.
• Jeffery Simmons said tempers simply flared in the heat, emphasized “you can’t touch a quarterback,” and was escorted off the field shortly after the shove, according to the AP and reporters on site.
• Head coach Brian Callahan characterized the episode as a minor push-and-shove handled internally and had players run to close practice, with no discipline updates announced.
• Teammates publicly protected the quarterback, with left tackle Dan Moore Jr. saying no one is allowed to touch Ward, and players framing the incident as normal camp energy.
• Ward remains the presumptive Week 1 starter as rival evaluators highlight developmental concerns about processing under pressure and holding the ball, even as Callahan applies lessons from coaching Joe Burrow.