"I don't think he was slammed": Chad Johnson shuts down Shannon Sharpe over critical remarks on Michael Penix Jr. scuffle

It was an absolute menace at the Atlanta Falcons vs. Tennessee Titans joint practice on Wednesday when Michael Penix Jr. got into a heated scuffle with the opposite team. After throwing a touchdown pass to WR Ray-Ray McCloud, Penix Jr. seemingly appeared to be exchanging words with the Titans defense. This aggravated into a brawl and the Falcons QB reportedly ended up on the bottom of the pile.

After a couple of minutes going back and forth, both team members were separated. It was their second joint practice for the preseason game on Friday this week. Former NFL stars Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson were quick to react to this incident on their daily show Night Cap. Sharpe contested that Penix was clearly the victim and the defensive players initiated the scuffle.

“He was slammed to the turf. Did you hear that part? Let me repeat that. It ended up in the center of the scrum and appeared to be slammed to the turf,” Sharpe said on the show on Wednesday night. [Timestamp - 0:30]

Johnson, on the other hand, claimed that the incident was blown out of proportion. In no way would a defensive player body slam a quarterback especially Penix Jr., who is known for his poise and composure.

“I don't think he was slammed. You know how things are written. I guarantee you, they didn't pick him up and slam him to the turf. I guarantee that didn't happen. One, even if you're an opponent, and you're in a joint practice. There's not one player on the defense and I mean on the defensive side for the Titans that would slam someone, whether mad or not," he added.

Michael Penix opened up on altercation after practice

After Wednesday's scrimmage, the Falcons QB had a brief interaction with the reporters. As expected, he was asked about the on-field brawl and his reaction to the situation. Penix Jr. mentioned that all players were charged up and the incident got out of control within seconds.

"I'm glad they did, because obviously that's not something that we want to be doing in practice,” Penix said to the media.

“To see the team have my back and they were there, make sure they protect me. A lot of guys asked me if I was good, and it was good to know that those guys had my back,” he added.

Penix also shared updates on his team's preparation and mentioned that all the athletes were in a good spot. They are medically fit and were able to complete all reps as planned. The Falcons meet the Titans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Friday.