Tag: Jets jersey swap

Jamal Adams not a fan of NFL’s jersey swap ban

Jamal Adams was among players on Thursday to voice their displeasure in the NFL’s decision to prohibit jersey swaps for the 2020 season.

Jamal Adams is demanding a trade… for opposing players’ jerseys.

On Thursday, the NFL announced that players and teams will be forbidden from postgame interactions within six feet of each other, meaning jersey exchanges will be prohibited during the season, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

While the NFL is attempting to change the landscape of the game to encourage social distancing measures, this effort was met with laughs from Adams.

“Stand 6 feet away bro, I’ma toss my jersey to [you]… LOL Cmon man,” Adams said in a statement that was posted on Bleacher Report’s Gridiron Instagram page.

Adams isn’t the only player who finds irony in playing 60 minutes of a contact sport and then being required to socially distance after the game’s completion. Other NFL players such as D.J. Moore, Golden Tate and Stefon Diggs commented on the new jersey swap rule.

San Francisco 49ers All-Pro CB Richard Sherman, who also serves as the NFLPA’s vice president, acknowledged the irony on Twitter.

“This is a perfect example of NFL thinking in a nutshell,” Sherman wrote. “Players can go engage in a full contact game and do it safely. However, it is deemed unsafe for them to exchange jerseys after said game.”

Adams hasn’t been afraid to voice his displeasure this offseason, whether it’s had to do with his contract extension or the NFL’s original inadequate response to racial tensions and social justice measures. Now, the league’s decision to ban a popular postgame activity is another notch on the belt for the Jets’ All-Pro safety. Players like Adams don’t have a problem with the banning of the ritual itself, but more with the hypocrisy of the decision.

Lamar Jackson’s jersey swap with Jets a product of NFL’s current climate

Jets Wire breaks down why Lamar Jackson’s jersey swap with the Jets isn’t too big of a deal considering the current climate of the year.

In only 21 career starts, Lamar Jackson has managed to take the NFL by storm in a manner few before him have achieved.

Jackson’s dual-threat skill set has made him must-watch TV. His ability to thrash defenses with his superior arm talent and electric, elusive running skills have landed him at the forefront of the MVP race and in the spotlight on a weekly basis.

Jackson’s latest dynamic performance came against the Jets on Thursday night. He broke Michael Vick’s single-season rushing record for a quarterback while tossing five touchdown passes and leading the Ravens to a 42-21 win.

After getting trounced by Jackson, a handful of Jets players, including Le’Veon Bell and Robby Anderson, met with Jackson at midfield to exchange jerseys. The optics of the gathering weren’t too great for New York, as not only did Jackson just burn the team for four quarters, but he also had multiple jerseys to give out as if it was an autograph session for fans. Why would any Jet have interest in being buddy-buddy with a player who just embarrassed them in a primetime setting?

At the same time, it’s worth wondering whether the jersey swap is as big of a deal as some people are making it out to be. Jersey swapping is now a customary practice across all sports. Why are people taking issue specifically with this swap as opposed to others?

Whether you agree or disagree with the jersey swap practice, Jackson and Gang Green’s postgame session at midfield is a product of the kind of league the NFL is today.

In the league’s early days, players on opposing teams legitimately hated each other. It wasn’t a hate that lasted for four quarters and disappeared once the clock hit zero. It was a hate that lingered for years and, in many cases, into retirement.

The same cannot be said for today’s NFL. The NFL has essentially become a fraternity. Almost everyone is friendly with each other. While players still go to war for four quarters and friendships go out the window during the game, there’s seldom any lingering beef off the field. Once the game ends, the friendships return and any ill-will experienced over the course of a game dissipates.

If you’re an old school fan, odds are you couldn’t stand watching Jackson and the Jets swap jerseys. If you’re of the younger generation, it might’ve rubbed you as a little bit weird, but nothing crazy or out of the ordinary in sports today.

This is what the NFL has become. Thursday night’s jersey swap session wasn’t the first and it certainly will not be the last for Jackson or the Jets. The practice isn’t going anywhere, so there’s not much of a choice to accept it for what it is.