You might think that a battle-tested veteran and the dean of his team’s roster would look at the NFL preseason and think: “I’ll pass.”
But that simply is not the way Jets LB Demario Davis, who is preparing for his 15th season in the league, looks at things.
“I think when you’ve played this game for 15 seasons what you realize is the preseason is just a race to Week 1,” Davis said on Tuesday after the Jets and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers raced through a spirited joint practice at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. “And everybody across the league is trying to get as much of an advantage as they can heading into Week 1. It is helpful. The teams that I’ve been with before it’s been very beneficial, and you know the work that you’re able to get in preseason, all of it leading up to Week 1 is helpful. And so, I think this week is very, very beneficial for us all.”
The Jets and Bucs will convene again on Wednesday for Day 2 of the joint practices as each team prepares for Friday night’s preseason opener at MetLife Stadium.
During his time on the podium on Tuesday, HC Aaron Glenn said that he has no plans to hold out his starters.
“Everybody’s playing. Everybody’s playing,” Glenn said. “I think it’s important for our guys to play.”
Davis, 37, is in his third go-round with the Green & White, signing in free agency after 8 productive seasons in New Orleans. Across his career, Davis has not only been a rock in the heart of the defense, he has missed a mere 2 games across his previous 14 seasons — 1 in 2021 to observe Covid protocols and 1 in 2024 with a hamstring injury. He said that over his career, his different coaches have had varied approaches to who plays — and how much — over the 3 prep games.