Hit on Jace Sternberger could bring fireworks on Tuesday

Packers tight end Jace Sternberger was leveled by what the Packers considered a cheap shot.

Seemingly everyone on the Green Bay Packers’ side of Ray Nitschke Field on Monday was upset about the hit delivered to tight end Jace Sternberger by Houston Texans rookie defensive back Lonnie Johnson.

Everyone, that is, except Sternberger.

“The hit was unfortunate but we wish we could hit like that at practice,” he said. “Football’s fun. That’s what happens. It really wasn’t a big deal.”

During Day 1 of joint practices with the Texans, Sternberger caught a pass and was blasted by Johnson. While contact is allowed at practice, the coaches agreed upon no live tackling. Making matters worse, Johnson stood over Sternberger and flexed.

“I guess that’s why my teammates were so upset,” Sternberger said. “Yeah, I mean, I don’t know what to say about that. I still think it’s football. It could’ve been the exact other way. Everybody’s playing aggressive and intense, so it’s a good thing.”

Sternberger’s helmet was knocked off the play and he briefly left to be examined for a concussion, but Sternberger said he only had the wind knocked out of him.

Not everyone was so understanding.

“That was unnecessary,” Packers receiver Davante Adams said. “You’ve got plenty of time for that. You can do it in the games and you get fined. Be a coward when you do stuff like that in practice, it’s not a good look. We take care of each other up here. I don’t know how they practice, but there’s consequences for stuff like that. If you don’t care, then you don’t care and you just have to deal with it. But we like to take care of each other. It’s a brotherhood across the league, period. I had plenty of times where I could take somebody out but I decided not to because I felt like that’s not the appropriate thing to do when we’re trying to get better and look out for one another.”

Packers coach Matt LaFleur talked to his counterpart, Bill O’Brien, about the play. Later, Johnson was sent “to the showers” by O’Brien.

“I thought there was no place for that,” LaFleur said. “We addressed it. It’s an unfortunate deal, because I was pretty clear with our guys we’re not doing that stuff.”

Packers guard Billy Turner suggested the Texans should keep their “head on a swivel” for Tuesday’s practice.

“Look, things happen,” he said. “Personally speaking, I’m going to stand up for my teammates regardless if you’re offense, defense, special teams. If you punk one of my players. I’m going to be right here behind you, backing you up. It doesn’t matter who you are, and it doesn’t matter when it happens. So, if they want to play like that, and they want to take side shots – which we were told wasn’t going to happen – you know what, you keep seeing some of your players out there getting laid out in the middle of the field like they laid 87 out, after that it was just a wrap.”