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Seahawks' Bennett explains unwritten code of practice, player safety

Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett explained the unwritten rules of practice after being ejected from a session earlier this preseason for fighting.

Bennett most recently squared off against teammate Bradley Sowell in Sunday's practice, but holds no animus toward the offensive lineman.

After being afforded time to cool off, Bennett detailed the line between competition and dirty play inside a training session Monday.

"I think definitely there is a fine line in the NFL where it’s like where a guy beats a guy or he beats that guy,’’ Bennett said to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. "But when it goes beyond that play, dirty kind of plays at practice, that's where it crosses a line. For me I don't really treat the game like a game, I treat it like a job and for feeding my family and so I feel like if a guy is doing something to injure I feel like he is taking food out of my daughter's mouth or my wife's mouth. So I take that to heart and that drives me insane, especially if we are on the same team.

"It's different if it’s another team. But if we are on the same team I feel like we should respect each other to where we aren't trying to hurt each other."

Although Bennett and Sowell quickly resolved their differences, the Pro Bowl defensive lineman said the lack of familiarity with each other factored into their confrontation.

"It's a whole new offensive line where before it was guys you had battled with for a long time, three-four years," Bennett said. "There is just a code in the NFL when it comes to injuries and conditioning and stuff like that. … There's a code to where we have to find that fine line where it becomes about the person's safety then it is about the game."

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