Compared to some of the joint practices around the NFL, the Patriots and Eagles’ joint session on Tuesday was downright pleasant.
Perhaps that was due in part to the stern warning Patriots head coach Jarod Mayo issued to his players ahead of time.
“I mean, look, you don’t fight in a real game,” Mayo said “If you fight in a real game, you get fined; you get kicked out. It’s the same thing here. Look, 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. That’s kind of my mindset with that.”
The message was well received as there were no reported fights during the joint practice and it was likely helped by the fact it was limited to just one day as opposed to the multiple-day affairs that have taken place with other teams.
The joint practice came before Thursday’s preseason game between the two teams at Gillette Stadium.
While Mayo is keeping a tight hold on his guys during the joint practices, he did say that he was a fan of them.
“It really breaks up the monotony of camp,” Mayo said, according to CBS Sports. “It really helps you build that camaraderie amongst the group because out here, when you’re going against each other, it gets a little stale sometimes. It’s always good to go against another team.”
There have been several altercations during joint practices in the past and more recently the Giants and Lions got into a scrap during a joint practice in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Rookies Malik Nabers and Terrion Arnold got into at one point and during the first practice together, the Giants’ defense and Lions’ offense got into a brawl.