Patriots coach Jerod Mayo sends warning to squad and threatens their playing time if stars fight each other in practice

NEW England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo has come up with an innovative strategy to cut down on fights during practice sessions.

Mayo revealed his unique plan prior to the Patriots’ joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles on the fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium on Tuesday.

Getty

Getty

Getty

“You don’t fight in a real game,” Mayo told reporters.

“If you fight in a real game, you get fined, you get kicked out. Same thing here.

“My message to the players is 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 my mindset with that.”

Fights in joint practices are not uncommon.

But Mayo’s plan makes sense with starters wanting to conserve energy ahead of the regular season and backup players seeking valuable playing time.

Mayo explained why he is in favor or joint practices during training camp.

“It really breaks up the monotony of camp,” Mayo said.

“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.”

The joint practice comes ahead of a preseason game between the Patriots and Eagles at Gillette Stadium on Thursday evening.

“Excited to get another team in here – a contender team – to go up against and see where we land against these guys,” Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett said.

“I know we’ll put in good work on both sides so I’m excited for that.”

Mayo added that rookie quarterback Drake Maye will be given meaningful playing time on both Tuesday and Thursday.

“For all the quarterbacks, it’s a huge week for those guys to really show development,” Mayo said.

Why is the NFL allowing players to wear Guardian Caps?

The NFL announced in April that players will be allowed to wear extra protective headgear in games to increase player health and safety.

They are designed to reduce the risk of head injury in high-impact collisions and were introduced in practice in 2022 – leading to a 50 percent reduction in concussions.

The NFL says that they can reduce the force from head contact by 10 percent if one player is wearing it, and 20 percent if all players involved are wearing them.

“We now have two years of data showing significant concussion reductions among players who wear Guardian Caps during practice so players will be permitted to wear the cap during games this upcoming season,” said NFL executive Jeff Miller.

“Additionally, there are new helmets this year that provide as much – if not more – protection than a different helmet model paired with a Guardian Cap.

“These developments represent substantial progress in our efforts to make the game safer for players.”

NFL players will have 12 new helmets – including eight that are made specifically for linemen and quarterbacks – to choose from next season.

“Drake will play more this week, for sure.

“But don’t forget, anytime you practice against a team, they’ll get a lot of good reps against someone else and based on that, we’ll see how they’ll play in a game.

“That’s all positions, though.”

The Patriots are hoping that the Eagles will bring the best out of their defense ahead of the new season.

“They have a well-rounded team,” Patriots defensive coordinator Demarcus Covington said.

“Up-front, running backs, the quarterback position, same thing with the receivers.

“So it’ll be good for our guys to have that level of competition to see who can fill those voids or can help contribute to our defense this season.”