The Jets’ field wasn’t the only place to feel the 90-degree heat on Tuesday.
The hot weather left Jets players feeling highly emotional, and various fights and scuffles broke out at Florham Park.
Linebacker Marcelino McClary-Ball started the first skirmish on the field during an 11-on-11 drill, and the skirmish continued all the way to the famous large tree in the middle of the practice field.
After the fighting stopped, the DJ decided to play “We Are Family,” but it wasn’t enough to calm the anger, which Chuck Clark explained remained on the field.
The second incident occurred after a pass to Garrett Wilson was incomplete, after which Wilson rose to his feet and immediately began fighting cornerback DJ Reed.
Finally, a third fight broke out during a team practice, but it was unclear where it started.
“We love it, but at the same time we want to control it,” Quincy Williams said of the intense practices.
After the final fight, coach Robert Saleh was forced to stop training to talk to his players.
“It’s okay to be annoyed, it’s about holding each other accountable,” Saleh says. “There are two kinds of fights: You fight when you think the other person is trying too hard and you need to tone it down, and you fight when you think you’re being stingy. [cheap ones] These are things we want to avoid.
“The overall message is just to follow through on practice, look out for each other, keep competing and keep fighting.”
Breece Hall said he had no intention of getting involved.
“Personally, it’s too hot to fight,” he said, shaking his head. “We’ve played five or six in a row. If guys are fighting, that’s my break. … I mean, I think we can take it as a positive because that’s what brothers do. We’re competitive and we protect our teammates, so I think it’s a positive.”
Saleh said he’s not worried about the behavior continuing through Thursday, when the Jets practice with the Commanders, who are scheduled to play their first preseason game on Saturday.
But it’s behavior like this that explains why Saleh prefers to practice with other teams just once a year instead of two days in a row — and why he could understand the brawl that broke out between the Giants and Lions on Tuesday in East Rutherford.
“One [joint practice]”For me, one day is enough. I think the second day is when players get hurt and traditionally there are no fights,” Saleh said. “At the end of the day, one team is just celebrating a win and the other team is just talking about what they got. On top of that, these practices are pretty taxing on the players and it’s rare for football players to do this much volume and intensity two days in a row. Not only do players get hurt on the second day, but they also get very unproductive as players fight and interrupt their technique.”
Saleh said they still have to discuss a preseason plan for shortstop Tyron Smith, who has a history of injuries and will need to balance practice with rest.
“This is something we need to handle with care,” Saleh said.
Smith did not practice with the team on Tuesday, giving Olu Fashanu extra practice time.
Cornerback Michael Carter II (ankle) missed his third consecutive practice with lower leg tightness.
