Robert Nkemdiche Chastised in Practice by Bruce Arians
In one of his first practices as an NFL player, first round pick Robert Nkemdiche was reportedly pulled off the field by head coach Bruce Arians. The Cardinals head coach said Nkemdiche was “killing” guys during non-contact drills and was being overly aggressive.
As reported by AZ Central Sports reporter Kent Somers, Arians was not pleased with the way the former Ole Miss standout was conducting himself in a non-contact practice.
“He was killing people in walk-through,” said the fourth year head coach. “I had to slow him down. It’s a walk-through, and he bench-pressed a lineman already.”
The practice is designed to familiarize rookies and other younger players with NFL concepts not used in the college game. The NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement restricts the amount of contact players can have in practice.
If Nkemdiche continues his aggressive practice habits, Arians and the Cardinals organization could face fines from the league.
“If I get fined, I’m taking it out of your check,” said Arians to Nkemdiche.
In 2014, the Seattle Seahawks were fined $300,000 for violating the league’s no-contact rules during their mandatory mini-camp. The club also lost practice time for the following season’s training camp. It was the second offense by the organization in three years.
While $300,000 is widely considered an exuberant amount of money, Nkemdiche signed his four-year rookie contract worth $8.8 million. He also received a $4.4 million signing bonus.
Considering how hard he plays, it is not shocking Nkemdiche was already told to slow down in practice. The defensive lineman is an athletic freak at 6’4, 296 lbs and is known for having a high motor on the field.
Robert Nkemdiche was widely considered to be a top-five talent in this years NFL Draft, but off the field concerns plummeted his draft stock. In December, he fell out of a hotel window while high on synthetic marijuana.
The Cardinals will wrap up their three-day mini-camp Sunday before having all of their players report for OTA’s (organized team activities) and mandatory mini-camp in a couple of weeks.