Jaguars' feisty side is already causing a stir at Saints joint practice

The Jacksonville Jaguars are having joint practices with the New Orleans Saints before they play in the preseason opener. This will give the starters a chance to go against the Saints' top player, while paving the way for other players to see the field in their preseason outing. On the other hand, it opens the door for scuffles because of the intensity. That's precisely what happened.

Brent Martineau of Action News Jax attended the joint practice. He says there was a skirmish, with a Saints defender pushing Jaguars running back Chris Rodriguez. His offensive linemen then went to bat for him, with offensive tackle Chuma Edoga taking the lead. Practice seemingly resumed not long after, with no further scuffles erupting. Moreover, the offense appeared to be on a hot streak, with Rodriguez getting lost of work with the first team.

Circling back to the skirmish, it's good to watch the Jaguars not back down, but they cannot afford to lose their composure.

The Jaguars won't shy away from a scuffle with the Saints but can't lose their temper

Under head coach Liam Coen, the Jaguars have become a feisty team. Last year, they also had a brawl when they had joint practices with the Miami Dolphins during the preseason. This shows that they won't let themselves be bullied, which wasn't always the case during the Doug Pederson era.

With Pederson as the head coach, Jacksonville had a scuffle with the Houston Texans when Azeez Al-Shaair laid a vicious hit on Trevor Lawrence during a division game in 2024. Some of his teammates reacted, but the team overall didn't get as heated as it should have been.

Heck, Pederson seemed nonconfrontational in the aftermath. Meanwhile, his Texans counterpart, DeMeco Ryans, stood behind his players. This is why it's refreshing to see the Jags' toughness in full display.

On the other hand, the Jags need to stay disciplined during game day, as that could come back to haunt them and put them at risk of losing some of their players if they're ejected.

The Jaguars could face another scuffle with the Buccaneers

Like the Jaguars, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a brawl during a joint practice with the New York Jets. When asked about it, right tackle Luke Goedeke said the Bucs were there to play football. Of course, he wasn't going to just let opposing players manhandle him, but that kind of mindset shows that Tampa Bay won't shy away from another brawl.

Jacksonville will face the Buccaneers in the preseason finale and practice together in the days preceding the game. Liam Coen will probably talk with his players about not being baited, but there's a point at which they'll have to stand up for themselves if tempers flare against Tampa Bay.

The truth is that brawls are bound to happen in a collision sport such as football, but the Jaguars need to know how to navitage them. They'll be tested in the upcoming weeks.

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