Joint practices give coaches a better way to evaluate starters in more competitive environment

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Baker Mayfield got in the middle of a scuffle and injured All-Pro tackle Tristan Wirfs went onto the field on a crutch to join his teammates. Welcome to joint practices. Players get an opportunity to hit opposing teams, which sometimes can lead to fighting. This was a minor tussle between the Buccaneers and Titans on Thursday. "Everybody's in the skirmish," Bucs coach Todd Bowles said. "Nobody wants to throw a punch. It's not necessary. We're not trying to do that right there. They're not trying to do it as well. If it's hot and you got pads on, it's going to happen." Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, a former All-Pro linebacker and two-time Coach of the Year in Tennessee, jumped into a pile of players and came out with a bloodied cheek at New England's practice with the Washington Commanders on Wednesday. But the main purpose of joint sessions is to give coaches a better way to evaluate starters in a more competitive environment than preseason games. Teams don't want future opponents to see much of their playbook in exhibitions and most coaches prefer to keep key starters out of harm's way so facing opponents within a controlled setting has become a priority for most teams. Overall, 29 of 32 NFL teams are holding joint practices this summer, up from 27 in 2023 and 23 in 2022. Only the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, and New Orleans Saints aren't doing them. Tampa Bay practiced against Tennessee two days ahead of the exhibition opener on Saturday night. Both teams also have joint practices scheduled next week with their opponents. "These are all pretty standard in the sense that you're going to get most situational work, you get some base down, some third down, some red zone, a two-minute drill," Titans coach Brian Callahan said. The New York Giants and Jets have two days of joint practices next week, one at each team's practice facility. Veteran Giants quarterback Russell Wilson has played long enough to appreciate the evolution of joint practices and their importance. The NFL decreased the preseason schedule to three games when the regular season went to 17 games and it'll likely be down to two exhibition games if the league goes to an 18-game season. That shift came as more teams were starting to lean on practices against opponents as their primary source of preparing quarterbacks and veteran starters for Week 1. "I think the joint practices are great just because you get to go against another team, get to see, match up and just play football," Wilson said. "Once again, everything's about preparation, getting ready for the season." The San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos held a joint practice on Thursday also ahead of their game on Saturday. They became the sixth pair of teams to do it already. "I think it's really valuable," Niners coach Kyle Shanahan said. "Sometimes you can't do it. I always would like to do it. ... It's always good to go against different schemes, too. Different players. We're going against each other every day. Same guys, same scheme. It gets a little bit old and it's a good way to switch it up." For a coach on a new team like Vrabel, facing another team in practice also helps build a foundation for his unit. The Patriots are coming off a terrible 4-13 season and Vrabel is aiming to change the culture. "The goal is just to be able to put the identity out on the field against another team, to put the fundamentals that we put out there, the installation, to be able to do it against another defense, to be able to adjust to different play styles of players, players that maybe are longer or quicker or stronger, just different play styles of each player throughout this league," Vrabel said. The league embraces joint practices from a player health and safety perspective because fewer starters are playing in preseason games and data has shown players are more susceptible to soft-tissue injuries early in the season if they don't hit similar load, speed and exertion levels in training camp.