Patriots coach Jerod Mayo issues stern warning to players about fighting

Tensions have been running high in the NFL as the regular season approaches. The sport’s innate physicality has a way of boiling over after a play has been called dead. Just ask the New York Giants and Detroit Lions, who have been brawling frequently during their joint practices this past week.

The New England Patriots are next in line for a joint practice as they host the Philadelphia Eagles. Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo is well aware of the potential for fights during this time, so he has set some ground rules for his team regarding physical altercations.

“You don’t fight in a real game. You fight in a real game, you get fined, you get kicked out,” Mayo told the media“My message to the players: if you fight here, if you’re a starter, you’re going to play the whole pre-season game. If you’re not a starter, you’re not going to play at all.”

To limit the risk of fighting, Mayo also favored limiting joint training to a single day. Typically, such training lasts several days.