RIVER FALLS, Wis. -- Dick Vermeil was angry after a Vikings rookie injured one of his wide receivers during a intersquad scrimmage. Given current news headlines coming out of Baylor University, perhaps the Chiefs' head coach should have expressed himself in a different way.

After Kansas City backup receiver Dameane Douglas appeared to severely injure his lower leg on a hit by Vikings rookie free-agent cornerback Rushen Jones during a passing scrimmage, Vermeil, in front of assembled reporters, yelled to the Minnesota trainer that the Vikings should take a shotgun and "shoot (Jones) in the head," the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported on Friday.

The extent of Douglas' injury was not immediately known, but Vermeil told the paper "it was not good."

According to the paper, Jones tackled Douglas as Douglas caught a 15-yard pass. Douglas' knees immediately buckled.

The paper reported that Douglas and his teammates immediately began to scream at Jones after the play. Douglas looked at Jones and Vikings cornerback Carey Scott and said, "Which one of you (expletive) are going to pay my bills?" according to the Pioneer Press.

Several neutral observers thought Jones' play was aggressive but not malicious. Scott, who was near the play, told the Pioneer Press that the hit was not dirty.

Jones, a rookie from Vanderbilt, was unavailable for comment.

Vermeil and Vikings head coach Mike Tice did not talk about the play after the scrimmage, according to the paper. The teams play an exhibition game Aug. 16 in Kansas City and a regular-season game Dec. 20 in Minnesota.