Players from the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers scuffled several times during a joint practice Wednesday, and Jets assistant coach Tony Oden paid a price.
The Jets senior defensive assistant/cornerbacks coach had to be carted off the field after an undisclosed injury. According to Pro Football Talk, Oden went down after one of the scuffles. He was seen sitting up in the cart as it left the field.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh said that Oden had been taken to the hospital as a precaution, but is OK.
Robert Saleh says Jets CB coach Tony Oden got hit during one of the fights today, and is doing ok but was taken to the hospital out of precaution pic.twitter.com/i7LXeg6v2b
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) August 16, 2023
According to Pewter Report, there were at least three scuffles in the joint session.
Another scuffle. So many involved between #Jets offense and #Bucs defense. That’s 3 already in practice.
— PewterReport 🏴☠️ (@PewterReport) August 16, 2023
Harrison Glaser, who hosts the Jets TFSF podcast, tweeted, “Multiple fights today, and in the last one a coach got injured, was down for a while, and now they’re sending a cart out for him This is getting ******* ridiculous.”
Other reporters said the situation had gotten out of control between the two teams.
“Never heard of a coach being injured in a fight. Might be time to call it a day,” noted The Jet Press.
Oh man this is wild. Hoping Tony Oden is alright, he’s one of the most important coaches on the #Jets staff.
Never heard of a coach being injured in a fight. Might be time to call it a day. https://t.co/Cd0f29kxoi
— The Jet Press (@TheJetPress) August 16, 2023
Oden wasn’t the only person carted off the field Wednesday. Buccaneers starting wide receiver Russell Gage suffered a knee injury in a non-contact situation. ESPN reported the veteran will miss the entire 2023 season.
