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It’s unfortunate for the fans, but obviously there is nothing they can do about it.
On Tuesday, it was announced that the Jets will have only seven open practices during training camp, and only one open to the general public, with six reserved for season ticket holders. The six practices for season ticket holders will be held on August 4, August 8, August 11-12, August 18, and August 25. All fans will be welcomed at practice on Saturday, August 1.
On their website, a team official explained the reason for so few practices being open to fans:
“Last month, the club announced the construction of a Player Performance Center to support every aspect of player performance, health, and recovery. During construction, the team is working out in a temporary training space that is more than 70% larger than the previous weight room. As part of the ongoing facility updates, Jets business operations staffers have been temporarily relocated to offsite office space. The construction has significantly reduced available parking, usable space, and the club’s ability to accommodate large crowds.”
So, strangely, perhaps you can blame the 2025 NFLPA anonymous survey for the limited practices.
Remember, Woody Johnson got an “F” from players.
“Owner Woody Johnson’s average rating for perceived willingness to invest in the facilities is 5.58 out of 10 from Jets players, a ranking of 32 out of 32 owners in the league,” the report card said.
If you want to find a scapegoat for the limited practice, consider the NFLPA report card. I’m not being sarcastic.
You could make a strong argument that the “F” rating for Johnson based on the complex in Florham Park was bogus.
It almost seemed like the “F” for the facility was a roundabout way to get at the owner by some players who might not be fans of his ownership style.
I’ve been in the building hundreds of times since it opened – there was no wrong the facility. In fact, many free agent players and coaching candidates over the years have raved about 1 Jets Drive when they visited.
The facilities receiving an “F” were unacceptable.
I’m not here to defend Johnson’s ownership, which obviously needs to improve considering the team has hte longest current playoff drought in pro sports.
But the facilities were and aren’t the issue.
But perhaps related to that survey, Johnson is spending a lot of money on facilities. The locker room was renovated a year ago, and now other parts of the building are being worked on.
Look, it’s entirely up to the team management how many practices they want open. The fans and media don’t have a vote on this.
Like Bill Parcells once said at Hofstra about the team’s two-story training complex – “The complaint department is on the third floor.”
One part of the explanation, some might wonder about, is the part about limited parking due to construction.
It seemed over the years that the fans and media parked on remote sites off the grounds of the team’s training complex, like at a hotel and office park nearby, and were driven over to practice in shuttle buses.
So not 100 percent sure what parking had to do with this decision, but surely the team has an explanation for this, and I will make an effort to get this for y’all
July 8, 2026
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