Jets CB Stiggers Collapses at Practice, Rushed to Hospital — Then a Glimmer of Relief

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Tuesday's joint practice between the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers was already boiling over with fights. Then it went dead silent.

Jets cornerback Qwan'tez Stiggers collapsed during a special-teams period and had to be taken via ambulance to a local hospital. The 24-year-old backup corner and gunner went down in front of the sideline bleachers, bringing practice to a halt for 10 minutes as medical staff hovered over him.

Head coach Aaron Glenn said after practice that Stiggers was conscious and able to speak. He was given an IV on the field before being loaded onto a stretcher.

"He came to the sideline and he just passed out," Glenn said. "For the most part, he was good."

The Jets didn't release a diagnosis, but the initial signs were encouraging. Defensive tackle Harrison Phillips described the scene as "really scary" and said the knee-jerk reaction was raw. "What's been shared to us is that things are on the up and up," he added.

Players and coaches gathered at midfield after practice to pray for Stiggers, according to Phillips.

Fights stole the show before Stiggers went down

The joint practice was chippy from the jump. Four separate fights broke out over the two-hour session — starting with Jets rookie David Bailey and Bucs right tackle Luke Goedeke in one-on-one drills. Bailey, the No. 2 pick, had beaten Goedeke earlier and then patted him on the helmet after a stalemate. Goedeke wasn't having it.

"He called me out in the one-on-ones, that he wanted to go against me — and lost," Goedeke said. "He tried shoving me after that."

Minutes later, during 11-on-11, Goedeke accused Jets edge rusher Kingsley Enagbare of cheap-shotting him from the side. In that melee, Goedeke ripped off Stiggers' helmet and flung it. The bad blood didn't cool after Stiggers' collapse either. After the delay, Jets right tackle Armand Membou and Bucs defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson traded punches, with Robinson ripping off Membou's helmet. Rookie defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. also got tangled up with multiple Bucs.

Both head coaches downplayed the brawls as part of joint-practice intensity, but Phillips acknowledged the adrenaline — even if he doesn't love the fighting.

"I don't like fighting," Phillips said, "but there's a positive in that, hey, 'I don't want to be punked.' I hope that's not part of the DNA of this team, but as a veteran it gets our adrenaline going, too."

Now the Jets are just hoping Stiggers is OK. Everything else can wait.