Big Shield has morphed into Big Brother when it comes to fights at joint practices.
That’s actually a good thing. It’s overdue. The images of an enraged Aaron Donald flattening a Bengals helmet against the helmet of another Bengals player two years ago proved that the league needs to be monitoring and, when necessary, taking action.
The $200,000 fines imposed on both the Lions and Giants for multiple fights during joint practices earlier this week become a warning to all other teams that will be engaging in joint practices — and nearly every team will this month. As the Jets and Commanders prepare for a joint practice on Thursday, Jets coach Robert Saleh said he’s “not overly concerned” about the possibility for pugilism at the session, via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com.
In most cases, the first day of joint practices don’t present a major problem. It’s the second day when things can go sideways — especially after players hear about how they were beaten by opponents during the first practice. The rebuke creates resentment that can trickle into the next day.
That’s why it’s smart to keep it to one day, as the Jets are doing this year, in advance of each of their three preseason games. And it’s smart for the NFL to be keeping an eye on joint practices, with a willingness to financially smack those who literally smack each other beyond the confines of the basic rules of engagement.