The New York Jets are going to see an old friend very soon.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles confirmed the Jets and Bucs are going to have joint practices in August ahead of their preseason game at MetLife Stadium on Aug. 14.
Bowles, of course, was the Jets head coach for four seasons between 2015-18. He went 24-40 with the Jets but immediately went to the Buccaneers, where he was the defensive coordinator for the Super Bowl LV champions before becoming head coach.
The news of Bucs and Jets joint practices come on the heels of the cancellation of the Jets’ joint practices with the New York Giants last week. Giants’ first-year head coach John Harbaugh made the call to cancel the scheduled joint practice.
The Jets and Buccaneers Will Have Joint Practices in August
It isn’t a surprising development, given the fact most teams have joint practices ahead of their preseason games. But Bowles confirmed his club will make the trek from Western Florida to New Jersey, according to FOX Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman.
The Bucs-Jets joint practices will be New York’s first exercises against an opposing team of 2026. Jets training camp will start July 25 in Florham Park, but they will go head to head against themselves for the first two weeks before the Bucs come up for the weeklong exercises.
Only one of the Jets-Buccaneers joint practices will be open to the public. The Bucs practice will replace the Giants’ season-ticket-holder exclusive open joint practice that was scheduled for Aug. 12.
Typically, the most important work of the week happens in the joint practices, especially for starters and veterans. Jets season-ticket holders will get to see vets like Geno Smith, Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson go against Bowles’ defense, as well as Baker Mayfield and others.
But Jets fans will also be able to get a glimpse at first-round picks David Bailey, Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper in their first pro competitions against opposing squads at the joint practice and then at the home preseason game.
The Jets’ Preseason Will be Full of Homecomings
The Jets’ preseason will be full of familiar faces.
They’ll start with a week of practice and the preseason game against Bowles and the Buccaneers. Then they will take on former Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium in the Steel City on Aug. 21, though Rodgers is unlikely to suit up for that game.
Plus, the cancelled joint practice will also create some juice when the Jets and Giants square off in the annual Snoopy Bowl, which will be a Jets home game and take place Aug. 28 at 7:30 p.m.
The added joint practice dates between the Jets and Buccaneers will add some buzz to the club’s preseason. They will be the Jets’ only joint practices this preseason, since they will not participate in any against the Steelers or Giants.
Then once the preseason ends, the Jets will, of course, take on another former head coach in Robert Saleh when the Jets and Tennessee Titans meet in Nashville on Sept. 13.
Buccaneers Coach Confirms Preseason Joint Practices with Jets