Tuesday's joint practice between the Jets and Buccaneers turned scary fast. Qwan'tez Stiggers collapsed on the sideline during a special teams period, and the field went quiet as trainers rushed over to work on him.
Jets cornerback Qwan'tez Stiggers was transported via ambulance to a local hospital after collapsing during a joint practice Tuesday with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. https://t.co/kQf1kTcypE
Adam Schefter was first to report the news: Stiggers was transported via ambulance to a local hospital for evaluation. According to reporting from the scene, he was given an IV on the field before being taken out on a stretcher, and practice was halted for about 10 minutes while everyone processed what just happened.
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, who witnessed the whole thing, gave the most direct account: "He came to the sideline and he just passed out." Glenn added that Stiggers regained consciousness and was able to talk, saying "For the most part he's good" -- a cautiously encouraging update given how the moment looked in real time.
Defensive tackle Harrison Phillips didn't sugarcoat how alarming it was in the moment. "It was really scary... the knee jerk reaction is you're sitting there thinking, 'What the f---?'" he said, before noting that updates passed along to the team suggested "things are on the up and up." Players and coaches reportedly gathered on the field to pray for Stiggers once practice wrapped.
The 24-year-old has one of the more unique paths in the league. Stiggers never played college football -- he went straight from high school to the CFL, where he won Most Outstanding Rookie honors with the Toronto Argonauts in 2023 after picking off 5 passes. That performance got him drafted by the Jets in the fifth round of the 2024 draft, making him believed to be the first CFL player ever drafted by an NFL team without any college experience.
Since arriving in New York, Stiggers has carved out a role primarily on special teams, appearing in 29 games mostly as a gunner on punt coverage. The Jets haven't released an official diagnosis yet, and with practices in Northern New Jersey running hot and humid this week, heat and dehydration have been floated as a possible factor -- though nothing's been confirmed. For now, the update from the building is that he's conscious, talking, and being watched closely.