Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo has warned his players that fighting in this week’s joint practices with the Eagles will affect their playing time in Thursday night’s preseason game — with a twist.
The twist is that starters, who generally prefer not to play in the preseason, will have to play the entire game if they fight in practice. Backups, who need every opportunity to use preseason games to earn a roster spot, will get benched for the preseason if they fight in practice.
“My message to the players: If you get in a fight out here, if you’re a starter, you’re going to play the whole preseason game. If you’re not a starter, you won’t play at all,” Mayo said.
That’s a message that should get through to every player.
