Giants allow stranded Tampa Bay Bucs to use practice facility

The New York Giants did not practice on Thursday, but an NFL team did use their Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, N.J.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, preparing for a preseason game against the New York Jets Saturday night at MetLife Stadium, used the Giants’ practice facilities to work out on Thursday.

The Giants did not hold a full practice on Thursday. They host the Carolina Panthers in their own preseason game at MetLife Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m.

“The Bucs needed a place to work since their joint practice apparently was canceled. They asked about our fields. Given our schedule, we said yes. It worked out,” the Giants said in a statement released by their public relations department.

NFL teams have increasingly held joint practices in recent years. This, though, seems like an unusual and gracious move by the Giants to turn over their practice fields to another NFL team.

Normally, the Buccaneers would have stayed in Tampa Bay for practice on Thursday and traveled to New Jersey for Saturday’s game on Friday. But they traveled to New Jersey for two days of joint practices with the Jets that were scheduled back in March 2023. Jets head coach Robert Saleh canceled the second day of joint practice a few days ago, which was too late for the Buccaneers to adjust travel plans. So the Giants came to the rescue.

The Buccaneers are coached by former Jets head coach Todd Bowles.