David Bailey faced an NFL opponent for the first time and was eager to prove himself.
The No. 2 overall draft pick appeared ready for the season opener, enduring several hits from Luke Goedeke during initial one-on-one drills on Tuesday as both teams practiced together. However, during the next play, Bailey got ahead of himself and committed a false start. In the following rep, he attempted a bull rush, which led to a standstill as the Jets rookie struck the veteran’s helmet. Goedeke retaliated, and a brief brawl erupted between the teams.
“He challenged me one-on-one and wanted to go at it, but he lost,” Goedeke said. “Then, he tried to push me. [Jets linebacker Kingsley Enagbare] hit me from the side in what felt like a cheap shot. So, it definitely wasn’t a smooth start to practice.”
“It might not have been the smartest move for me, but I will always protect my teammates. More importantly, I have to look out for myself. I don’t want to end up injured or sidelined, especially not on the field,” he added.
This was only the beginning of the conflict.
Despite the longstanding friendship between the head coaches—Tampa Bay’s Todd Bowles and Aaron Glenn, the Jets’ coach—ongoing skirmishes broke out constantly. Both teams are set to practice again on Wednesday and will face off in the preseason opener at MetLife Stadium on Friday.
After an altercation involving Bailey, Goedeke also got into it with Enagbare, which cleared both sidelines. In the midst of a fight, Jarius Monroe intercepted Baker Mayfield, and then the Tampa Bay tackle yanked Quantez Stigers’ helmet off and threw him to the ground.
“Watching fights isn’t my thing,” Jets defensive tackle Harrison Phillips remarked. “If you do that in a game, you get tossed, and that can hurt a lot. These joint practices simulate game situations, but I prefer pulling players back rather than worrying about ejections. I’d rather we focus on getting better instead of fighting, although I get how the adrenaline can take over.”
Following an ambulance evacuation for Stigers after he passed out on the sidelines and a brief cool-down period for both teams—Glenn later confirmed he was fine—the fighting resumed.
In one incident, Buccaneers defensive tackle Ashawn Robinson removed Jets right tackle Armando Menbou’s helmet, while another scuffle involved Jets rookie Darrell Jackson Jr. and several Buccaneers players.
“Veterans tend to avoid that,” Glenn noted. “I can’t imagine DeMario [Davis] or those seasoned guys engaging in that. A lot of energy is wasted on such brawls. Younger players have to learn from this. I hope by our next practice, we can just focus on our game without the fighting.”
And then there’s Breece Hall’s perspective.
“There are rules. If you weigh over 240 pounds, don’t even think about it,” the Jets running back jokingly said. “When I see a fight breaking out, it’s my cue to step back. I’m way too hot for that.”
