The New York Jets canceled practice Thursday morning, joining the Indianapolis Colts and the Washington Football Team.
FLORHAM PARK, NJ—The New York Jets canceled practice Thursday morning, according to multiple sources.
No communication was provided leading up to the 9:20 a.m. ET start time, which suggests this might have been a last-moment decision. The Jets have not yet officially commented.
In response to the Jacob Blake shooting, the Jets have decided not to practice today. The team has provided no further information at this time. This may have been a sudden decision. The practice field was set up for the usual 9:20 start, and some staff… https://t.co/T9hrUdAzJy
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) August 27, 2020
The organization joins the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Football Team as the three NFL squads to cancel practice in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting that took place Sunday in Kenosha, Wis.
Football is not alone in this equation, of course. On Wednesday, the NBA and MLB vocalized social justice concerns in the form of boycotting games, led by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Wednesday marks the same day media had its first opportunity to ask newcomer Bradley McDougald about the Blake video. He did not shy away from his thoughts.
“We’re hurting,” McDougald said. “I’m an African-American man and that easily could’ve been me. As soon as I walk out of 1 Jets Drive, I’m just another black man and I don’t know how the cop is going to see me.”
Jamison Crowder was another Jets voice who vocalized concerns.
“It’s a reminder of me and my situation that I’ve been in,” Crowder said Wednesday of the Blake shooting. “I was in college, trying to be a student-athlete, doing the right things, and to be stereotyped and to be targeted because of the car I was driving, it’s definitely hurtful.”
Jets owner Christopher Johnson has been at the forefront of the conversation. In early June, linebacker C.J. Mosley approved how Johnson and the Jets organization were handling social justice topics.
“He (Johnson) said, ‘If any guy wants to call, any guy wants to get together to work something out, that he was there to help,'” Mosley said. “So that definitely meant a lot to me and I’m pretty sure to everybody else, too.”
Friday marked an off-day for the Jets prior to returning to action Saturday. Whether or not Thursday’s cancelation changes the future schedule is something to watch moving forward.
