Qwan’tez Stiggers’ day at New York Jets-Tampa Bay Buccaneers joint practice ended with a trip to the hospital, after the defensive back collapsed on the sideline and was taken away by ambulance.
Stiggers passed out late in a practice that had already turned ugly, with players surrounding him after he went down near the sideline. Medical personnel rushed in right away, teammates dropped to a knee in prayer, and an ambulance soon arrived to remove him from the field. Onlookers saw him getting an IV.
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said Stiggers had “passed out” but offered a reassuring update afterward.
“From what I know, he came to the sideline after a play, and he actually fell out. The good thing is that he was conscious.
'And our guys did a hell of a job, just like most medical staff around this league do in situations like that, and they took the necessary steps just to make sure we do everything we can to be on board when it comes to those situations.
'He was able to talk, and I want to make sure that I go and see him after this just to make sure I'm good with everything. But for the most part, he was good.”
Jets defensive tackle Harrison Phillips said the scene was “really scary” and said it changed the mood in an instant.
“It puts a lot of things in perspective. I'm really happy to hear most of the news has been positive, but the knee jerk [reaction] is you're sitting there thinking, 'What the f***?'
'What's been shared to us is that things are on the up and up.”
The collapse came after a practice that was already full of fireworks. Three fights broke out as tensions rose ahead of the teams’ preseason game on Friday night.
The first scrap started during 1-on-1 pass-rush work, when Jets rookie edge rusher David Bailey was taunted by Buccaneers tackle Luke Goedeke. After Bailey slapped Goedeke’s helmet, the two went at it.
The tempers carried over into the Buccaneers offense vs. Jets defense period. Baker Mayfield was picked off by Jarius Monroe, and then a major brawl erupted.
Goedeke was involved again, this time ripping off Stiggers’ helmet and throwing it roughly 20 yards downfield before coaches stepped in.
Later, Buccaneers defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson got into it with a Jets offensive lineman in a practice that also saw Jets quarterback Geno Smith throw multiple interceptions.
Goedeke later gave his version of events to the media, saying: “Well, [David Bailey] called me out in 1-on-1’s and wanted to go against me and lost. And then tried shoving me after that, and 52 [Kingsley Enagbare] I believe came from the side and just cheapshotted me.”
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Bucs Joint Practice Turned Ugly And Luke Goedeke Is Central
Joint practices are supposed to sharpen a team before the games start counting, but the Buccaneers and Jets managed to turn one into a full-on dustup. Tempers flared on the field between both sides during the session, with multiple scuffles breaking out as the two teams worked through camp reps and got a little too comfortable with the physical edge that often comes with August.
Luke Goedeke wound up right in the middle of the mess after a Jets interception by safety Jairus Monroe sparked a post-play confrontation, and another altercation later involving Jets defensive tackle Darrell Jackson and a Buccaneers offensive lineman pushed things far enough that the teams scrapped their second scheduled joint practice. For Tampa Bay, the episode leaves the usual training camp takeaway hanging over everything else: the line between competitive and chaotic got crossed quickly, and the details of how the Bucs handle the fallout will matter just as much as the next rep. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Depth Chart Just Sparked A Real Defensive Competition Debate
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SirVocea Dennis also shows up as the starting middle linebacker, a noteworthy call in a camp where Josiah Trotter has drawn attention with more splash plays. The secondary has its own intrigue, with Benjamin Morrison sitting as a second-string cornerback despite limited practice time because of injury, and J.J. Roberts listed behind the starters at safety even though he has not been on the field because of injury. The chart does not settle the competition, but it does make clear that several jobs remain very much in flux. [Read more 🡒]