Football is back, and Week 1 delivered with storylines all over the place. One that flew a bit under the radar due to the Los Angeles Chargers picking up its first win under new head coach Jim Harbaugh was the brawl that broke out late in the game between the Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders.
The aftermath saw two players, Los Angeles' Joshua Palmer and Las Vegas' Jack Jones, ejected and more punches thrown than a typical football scuffle.
JACK JONES AND JOSH PALMER GETTING IN THE MUD BROTHER!!!!!!! THIS IS THAT REAL!!!!! #BoltUp #RaiderNationpic.twitter.com/eMzSFC1xcU
— TDT Media (@ThirdDownThurs) September 8, 2024
The Chargers had just gone (and failed) for two points following a score. In the back of the endzone, Palmer served up a tough block on Jones which led to the latter firing off punches at Palmer. The melee was on as other players quickly jumped in.
Quentin Johnston got his money's worth as he came to the defense of Palmer, even going toe-to-toe with Vegas' Max Crosby before the two were separated. The whole ordeal was chaotic but for a Week 1 fracas, it certainly is up there with memorable football fights.
"They came and started throwing punches, but we're not going to be punching bags," Palmer said in an interview with ESPN. "So we had to defend ourselves.
He added that he's not holding any hostility towards Jones, Crosby, or any other Raiders' players, "We just do our job as hard as we can. We're not trying to hurt anybody."
A close-up of the punches thrown at the start of the brawl.
Neither Harbaugh nor Vegas' Antonio Pierce were fans of the skirmish with the latter addressing the matter at his press conference, "It's just not worth it. They scored, I mean, they kicked our a-. They scored. Let it go."
For the Chargers, the team took on the identity of their new head coach, who preaches toughness and a never-back-down mentality. While the comment was not directed at the brawl, the former Michigan coach believes his squad already had the right mindset before he took over.
Many players intervened to break up the punches
"The culture is already here," Harbaugh said in his press conference. "Me and all the new guys I think have really stepped into it. We're the lucky ones."
The AFC West rivals will square off one more time season in the regular season finale. We'll see if a Raiders-Chargers Brawl 2.0 breaks out the next time around.
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