New York Jets coach Tony Oden was taken to hospital after being caught in ‘friendly fire’ when a scuffle broke out at joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wednesday.
Oden, the Jets’ senior defensive assistant/cornerbacks coach, had to be carted from the field in Florham Park, New Jersey.
It’s claimed Jets cornerback Brandin Echols was at the center of the fracas that saw Oden knocked to the ground.
Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans later claimed that Wednesday’s session included the most fights he’s ever seen in joint practice over a near-decade in the NFL.
‘I think he caught some friendly fire. He’s awake, he’s doing fine, he’s stable,’ Jets coach Robert Saleh said.
‘He’s doing fine. I’m not exactly sure what happened,’ Saleh added. ‘I know it was during one of the altercations.
The Bucs have travelled north to train with the Jets ahead of the start of the NFL season next month.
On Wednesday, Oden collapsed moments after one altercation broke out between the two teams.
The 50-year-old has been with the Jets since 2021. He worked for the Buccaneers a decade ago before stints in Miami, Detroit, and San Francisco – where he also worked under Saleh with the 49ers.
Oden wasn’t the only person carted from the field on Wednesday. According to multiple reports, Bucs wide receiver Russell Gage was taken off after suffering an apparent leg injury.
Gage’s teammates reportedly took a knee after the incident – which occured while he was backpedaling – and Gage was said to be in tears as he exited practice.
There was better news for the Jets earlier this week, when running back Breece Hall was activated from the physically unable to perform list, just a day after the team agreed to terms on a one-year deal with Dalvin Cook.
Hall was carted off the field in Denver in Week 7 last season after tearing his ACL and injuring the meniscus in his left knee in the second quarter of the Jets’ 16-9 victory – ending a promising rookie season.
He has been working his way back to the practice field throughout the offseason and the Jets maintained optimism that Hall would be ready to play in the season opener against Buffalo on September 11.
They need to stop these combined practices it serves no purpose except for guys to get hurt you have preseason games to work on things. Seems like there are a lot of fights in these practices
what do you expect from un-Amerikan, rich, selfish thugs that are supported by stupid, shallow adult (mostly white) children ?