Cowboys’ Albert Huggins Kicked Out Of Practice After Knocking Down Rams Assistant

Defensive tackle Albert Huggins was kicked out of a joint practice Wednesday after knocking down a Rams coaching assistant during a drill. The staff member was posing as the quarterback but was not supposed to take contract from defenders.

Huggins, entering his sixth NFL season after signing with the Cowboys a week ago, was charged by several Rams players after hitting the assistant. Head coaches Mike McCarthy and Sean McVay agreed to temporarily halt practice, with McCarthy deciding to remove Huggins while McVay addressed players about proper conduct.

“His behavior was unacceptable. It’s been addressed,” McCarthy said Thursday, according to WFAA, a local news affiliate. “He has apologized. I’m comfortable with his apology. … That behavior is not what we’re about. He clearly understands that.”

Huggins, a two-time national champion at Clemson, went undrafted in 2019 and has since played for eight NFL teams. All of these have been extremely brief stints, either on the main roster or practice squad. His longest continues tenure with one team was with the Saints, where he spent the entire 2022 season on the injured reserve list. He had his first extended stay on the field in 2023, making 13 appearances and five starts for the Falcons as a rotating tackle.

The Cowboys reportedly signed Huggins in an effort to provide depth on the defensive line, but based on his prior NFL experience, he is clearly on the bubble to make the team’s final roster later this month. Behavioral issues certainly won’t help his case as he looks to ingratiate himself to new teammates this summer.

Dallas’ 2024 prospects are currently in a state of uncertainty as the team considers options to extend star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. In a tense situation at the highest levels of the organization, the last thing Huggins would want to be is a thorn in the staff’s side.