The New York Jets held a closed practice on Sunday that didn’t involve media or assistant coaches just a day after they lost to the New York Giants, 31-12, in their second preseason game. The practice was attended solely by players and their first-year coach Aaron Glenn.
The organization clarified that this session was technically a walk-through, as training camp practices typically need to be open to the press, while walk-throughs can remain closed. Despite being unconventional, it was a unique team gathering.
“It was personally different for me because I’ve never experienced that, having no coaches out there,” said cornerback Brandon Stephens. “It was great for us to lead the groups by ourselves.”
During the session, players ran their own drills and managed gameplay decisions. Justin Fields led the offense while Jamien Sherwood directed the defense, according to reports. Garrett Wilson mentioned that the players-only practice lasted about an hour.
Andre Cisco, a safety for the Jets, noted that the intent was to encourage players to take responsibility and better comprehend the coaching staff’s play-calling.
“Yeah, [an] ownership thing and also just us owning the calls, owning the defense…” Cisco explained. “Sherwood took over those duties on that day. And it was just player-led from that standpoint.”
In the Giants game, Fields only played the opening two series and ended up with 1 completed pass out of 5 attempts for just 4 yards. The Jets’ defense allowed a whopping 478 total yards at an average of 7.8 yards per play.
Aaron Glenn remarked after the game, “We were sloppy, and the guys know that. Overall, in general, it wasn’t good enough. I don’t care if it was the starting, second-team, or third-team offense.”
With Glenn taking over as coach, the Jets are entering a new chapter. Earlier this offseason, they hired him as defensive coordinator after his four-year tenure with the Detroit Lions and also signed Justin Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract to serve as their starting quarterback.
New York’s season opener is against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 7.
