Despite a testy Tuesday practice that featured a major brawl and multiple other altercations, Robert Saleh is not concerned about his team.
During his press conference, the New York Jets’ head coach spoke about the atmosphere surrounding the practice and if the fights are anything to worry about.
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“To be honest with you, getting chippy’s fine. It’s just being responsible to one another and the chippiness. There are two types of fights. There are fights because you feel like the other guy’s going too hard, which then you need to pick it up, and there are fights because it looks like you’re being cheap if that makes sense,” said Saleh.
“Those are the ones that we want to avoid. But just overall, the message is that we got to practice to finish and just take care of one another, continue to compete, and continue to battle.”
Saleh also said that he is not worried about fighting with the Commanders during Thursday’s joint practice. He said that the team knows “how to practice” and that he knows his team will “compete” and “have a level of respect for the opponent.”
For those who follow football consistently, Saleh’s answer should make a ton of sense.
Fighting, especially when a team practices against each other for an extended period, is very normal. Competitiveness breeds tension on the field, which can then spill into some fights. It is only when the fighting gets dirty or spills into the locker room that it becomes an issue.
The Jets are evidently pushing themselves in practice, and that competitiveness has created some intense battles and mini dust-ups. These fights are nothing to worry about, though, as they will likely make the Jets more competitive in the regular season and push them toward being better instead of detracting from their on-field performance.
