Eli Manning calls sucker punch of Geno Smith a 'silly incident'
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, left, hands the ball off to running back Shane Vereen during a joint training camp practice with the Cincinnati Bengals, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2015, in Cincinnati. Credit: AP / John Minchillo
It turned out that a joint practice against an opposing team was the safest place for a New York starting quarterback to be on Tuesday.
While Eli Manning and the rest of the Giants made it through their workout with the Bengals without the anticipated fights and brawls that often accompany these events, Jets quarterback Geno Smith had his jaw broken by a teammate in his own locker room.
The Giants could only shake their heads at what Manning called a "silly incident."
"You never want to see anyone get hurt, especially in training camp and in that type of way," Manning said after the Giants' workout.
"It's unfortunate. I think quarterbacks, we stick together and you don't like any other quarterback having to miss time, especially with a silly incident like that."
Smith is expected to miss 6-10 weeks.
Tom Coughlin said he heard about the Jets news but did not have much to say regarding it.
"I'm trying to make sure that our locker room is [peaceful]," he said. "It's a disappointing and sad thing, that's all I can tell you."
There was barely a hint of violence in the Giants' practice, even though their training camp at home already had been interrupted by three fist-fights.
"Automatically, without a shadow of a doubt, the level is picked up when it's an opposing team," linebacker Jon Beason said before the peaceful practice. "It's a different uniform, you don't know those guys. You want them to say after this play is over or after the day is over, 'Hey, I respect that guy and I respect this team. They know how to practice, they know how to get after it.' "
The closest the teams came to any kind of aggressive situation was when wide receiver Preston Parker was leveled on a clean but unnecessary hit by safety Shiloh Keo. The two players exchanged words as Parker got to his feet and Parker lightly tossed the ball at Keo, but they quickly returned to their huddles.
The biggest altercation might have been when Bengals cornerback Adam Jones spent several snaps screaming at an official for not flagging Odell Beckham Jr. as offsides on a play. Jones was flagged for holding on that same play against Beckham.
"I thought today was a good practice," Manning said. "There was good intensity on both sides of the ball and everybody just played to the whistle, no extracurricular activities. Guys were smart about it and I think we had good work."
Without any silliness.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
