Jets among 9 to cancel practice
As games continued to be postponed across multiple sports, the Jets became one of several NFL teams to cancel practice Thursday in the aftermath of the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wis.
Two days after the Lions first scrapped a workout to discuss social injustice issues — and one day after the Milwaukee Bucks sparked the postponement of the past two days of the NBA playoffs, and games in various other sports, after deciding to not play their scheduled matchup against the Magic — the Jets’ players appealed to coach Adam Gase to cancel Thursday’s practice.
The result was more than five hours of emotional meetings and discussions that also featured CEO Christopher Johnson and GM Joe Douglas at the team’s Florham Park facility.
The Jets made no personnel available to the media, and the organization didn’t release a statement about the protest beyond a tweet shortly after 6 p.m. that said, “Enough is enough,” along with “#BlackLivesMatter.” A source said the team’s talks will continue Friday — a scheduled off-day — as the Jets try to develop an effective course of action.
“We’ve been protecting the shield, it’s time for the shield to protect us,” running back Le’Veon Bell tweeted Thursday morning.
“Without a Helmet I’m A Target,” rookie running back La’Mical Perine added on the social media site.
The Cardinals, Colts, Packers, Bears, Titans, Chargers Broncos and the Washington Football Team also did not practice Thursday. The NFL and NFLPA issued a joint statement in support of its players and teams.
“The NFL is united more than ever to support one another in these challenging times. We share anger and frustration, most recently as a result of the shooting of Jacob Blake,” the statement read. “While our passions continue to run high, we are proud that our players and clubs, League and Union, are taking time to have the difficult conversations about these issues that affect the Black community and other communities of color in America.
“We are especially encouraged that these conversations are about how we can come together to make the necessary and long overdue changes in our country. We will continue to not only use collective platform to call out racism and injustice whenever and wherever it occurs in our country, but also fight together to eradicate it.”
Johnson also had addressed the Jets in an emotional virtual discussion Tuesday after Blake, a black man, was shot in the back seven times by a Kenosha police officer over the weekend.
Wide receiver Jamison Crowder and safety Bradley McDougald said Wednesday it was difficult watching the video of Blake being shot, a few months after video emerged of George Floyd being killed in police custody in Minnesota.
“Me personally, I’m hurt by the whole situation,” McDougald said Wednesday. “I’m an AfricanAmerican man and that easily could have been me. As soon as I walk out of One Jets Drive, I’m just another black man. I don’t know how the cop is going to see me. I have dreads and tattoos and I’m bigger than the average male. I don’t know how that cop is going to view me and the attitude and the aggression he’s going to give me.
“This is definitely something that I don’t want and a lot of my brothers in the locker room don’t want it swept under the rug. This is not a one-day topic.”