MANKATO — Vikings receiver Laquon Treadwell denied Thursday he was injured in a Monday practice fight with safety Antone Exum, saying he merely strained a muscle in his leg running pass patterns.

“No,” he said. “Just running routes, running, strained a muscle. We’re all out there competing. It’s a physical game and injuries happen.”

Treadwell and Exum exchanged shoves and punches and wrestled to the ground Monday after Treadwell beat Exum for a touchdown pass and then threw his arms up in celebration.

Treadwell left the workout after that and didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday after the team returned to training camp from a day off Tuesday. Treadwell said his injury is just a “small strain,” and he expects to be back soon.

Asked Wednesday if Treadwell was hurt in the altercation, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said, “I don’t know.”

Tight end Kyle Rudolph indicated Wednesday that Treadwell was injured in the fight.

“You never want to get hurt in practice, especially doing something like that,” Rudolph said. “It’s hard enough to stay healthy in this game as it is. You kind of tell people all the time, 100 percent you’re going to get hurt in football. … If you can avoid the silly (injuries), then you can avoid kind of the ones you really don’t have to deal with.” Related Articles Vikings elevate CB Mark Fields from practice squad for Sunday’s game

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Zimmer said Thursday he has talked to both players about the altercation.

“It wasn’t too smart.” Zimmer said. “(Players have) been hitting each other (in camp) for a while, so some guy takes an extra shot and somebody gets upset and throws a punch or something like that. I talked to them about it (Thursday). So I’ll see if we get that corrected.”

Treadwell saw the fight another way.

“It was fun,’’ he said. “It was fun for the moment. And we’ve moved on from it. It’s just part of training camp. Nobody’s backing down out there. It could happen to anybody, today, tomorrow, the next day. We just move forward, keep competing and keep getting better.”

Treadwell said there’s no animosity between the two players.

“I’m a physical guy,” Treadwell said. “(Exum’s) a physical guy. Trash talk here and there. Tempers flare. But he’s still my teammate. Nothing against him.”

Also sitting out Thursday with injuries were tackle Riley Reiff (back) and linebacker Kentrell Brothers (hamstring). Zimmer said Wednesday that Reiff, who suffered a back injury in the July 27 first full-squad practice at camp, soon should return.

Returning to practice was cornerback Tre Roberson (undisclosed injury), and running back Jerick McKinnon (leg) was a full participant after being limited Wednesday.

For Treadwell, the missed workouts stall some of the momentum the second-year receiver made the first week of camp. Zimmer has been high on Treadwell, who caught just one pass for 15 yards as a rookie.

“I’m playing a lot better, and I’m open all the time, and I’m just making plays on the field (like) I was used to,” Treadwell said. “Now, it just comes to doing it in the game.”

Treadwell said he’s paying more attention to technique. He admitted that going back to high school in the Chicago area and to college at Mississippi he “was just more talented than most guys” and he didn’t really “train on his craft.”

Improved health has helped, too. Treadwell said last season he should have paid more attention to his health considering he was still recovering from a broken left tibia and dislocated ankle suffered with the Rebels during a Nov. 1, 2014 game against Auburn.

“Me coming from breaking my leg my sophomore year in college to my junior year … and all I did was work hard,” Treadwell said. “I didn’t have the best doctors or treatment, so I just looked at it as if I continue to work hard, it will come around. It’s showing now, but last year, if I would have known better to just focus on my health more than actually working hard, I would have prospered a little more earlier than now.”