Saturday’s practice at Cleveland Browns training camp did not stay calm for long. Defensive end Jared Verse and rookie offensive tackle Spencer Fano got into it on the field, and things escalated fast.

WKYC’s Shawn Dunagan had his camera rolling and caught the whole thing: Verse gripping Fano’s face mask, ripping off his helmet, and throwing multiple punches before both players grappled to the ground. Teammates rushed in to separate them. It was the second such scuffle of Browns camp, after an earlier one on August 1.

As for what led to it, there is no clear picture as of now. However, Daryl Ruiter of Audacy’s 92.3 The Fan shared another clip showing Fano taunting Verse after the defensive end was flagged for jumping offside, celebrating with a dance as the offense drew Verse offside twice more and piled on the trash talk. The rookie did not exactly hide that he was enjoying getting under the veteran’s skin. And many believe that explains what unfolded on the field.

Fano had already been holding his own against Verse in their one-on-one reps all camp. No. 9 overall pick this spring out of Utah, he’s converting from right tackle to left tackle and competing with Dawand Jones for the starting job.

Verse, meanwhile, is entering his first season with Cleveland after the Browns acquired him, along with a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-rounder and a 2029 third-rounder, in the June 1 trade that sent Garrett to the Rams. The 2024 NFL Draft first-rounder (taken 19th overall; he won Defensive Rookie of the Year and made the Pro Bowl in each of his two seasons in Los Angeles) is expected to be an important piece of the Browns’ defensive front, making these matchups with Fano a valuable test for both players during camp.

The good news for Cleveland is that the altercation did not appear to derail either player’s day. On the very next snap, Fano stood Verse up in pass protection, drawing a loud cheer from the crowd on hand, and the two kept competing through the rest of practice.

Training camp fights are nothing new, especially between linemen testing each other daily. What makes this one different is the backdrop.

Days earlier, Verse had stayed after practice to coach Fano through his footwork and hand placement, with coach Todd Monken calling it some of the best teaching he’d seen.

That said, Fano is trying to prove he belongs. Verse is trying to set the tone on Cleveland’s defense. On Saturday, neither seemed particularly interested in backing down.