Jerod Mayo's Punishment for Patriots Players Who Fight in Joint Practice Is Harsh

Mayo's punishments for starters and bench guys are different but equally harsh.

August 8, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo watches as the team warms up before a game against the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Jerod Mayo laid down the law for his team as far as fighting during joint practices is concerned, and the potential punishments are harsh.

On Tuesday, the first-year New England Patriots head coach said players who may get into fights during a joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles would face stiff discipline.

"My message to the players, if you get in a fight out here if you're a starter you're going to play the whole preseason game. If you're not a starter, you won't play at all," Mayo said. "So that's kind of my mindset with that."

Jerod Mayo says if you FIGHT and you’re a starter then will play a whole preseason game, if your not then you won’t play at all#patriots #nfl #newenglandpatriots
⚡️ by @PrizePicks @Gametime pic.twitter.com/bzQITvNRSo

— Patriots on CLNS Media (@PatriotsCLNS) August 13, 2024

Mayo opened his answer by saying, "You don't fight in a real game. If you fight in a real game you get fined, you get kicked out. Same thing here."

That's harsh both ways. Starters do not want to be playing long during preseason games. They want to get their work in, start building in-game stamina, then get on the sidelines and relax for as long as possible. Meanwhile, the backups want as much playing time as possible to show what they can do and secure their spots on the roster.

Mayo seems to have found the best way to prevent players from getting in the kind of joint practice brawls we see all too often during training camp.