Why do NFL teams have joint practices?
During the NFL offseason activities, NFL teams have started conducting joint practices with other teams ahead of preseason games.
Joint practices have grown in popularity over the years, but they aren't mandatory for teams. A total of 23 teams are partaking in at least one series of joint practices this year, and seven of them will have joint practices with two different teams.
NFL joint practices are usually between two teams who are meeting in an upcoming preseason game. Teams have to travel anyway, and some arrive a few days prior for two or three joint practices leading up to the game.
But why do NFL teams elect to have these joint practices? Are they necessary or an unnecessary risk?
Pros and cons of NFL joint practices
During the NFL offseason, your offense and defense face each other dozens of times. Eventually, it can get boring and stagnant, and you don't get anything out of it after a while.
Having an exhibition scrimmage against another team makes the offseason exciting again for the players, coaches and any fans in attendance. There were no joint practices or preseason games last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while 20 teams had joint practices in 2019.
So it is becoming more popular and common each season. But there are pros and cons to joint practices, and that's why some teams decline to participate.
Pros
You can get additional looks at your players in a semi-live experience. The slate of NFL preseason games seems to shrink every few years, and there's less time to see your roster in action before games matter.
You can open up the playbook a bit more against players who haven't seen you run plays all offseason. For young rookies, it allows them to help get the jitters out before the NFL season starts. NFL joint practices can help coaches plan ahead for the preseason matchups as well.
Cons
Injuries are at a higher risk as players tend to go a little harder against other teams (the New York Jets this year is an example in this regard).
Frustration and adrenaline from long, hot training camp sessions can lead to players getting heated and fighting each other. There have been several this past week already. Some coaches don't partake, as they feel it shows too much of their playbook to the opposition.