New York Jets cornerback Qwan'tez Stiggers, 24, was taken to a hospital by ambulance Tuesday after briefly losing consciousness during a joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Florham Park, New Jersey. Stiggers came to the sideline during special teams drills and was placed on a stretcher with what appeared to be an IV before being loaded into the ambulance, and practice was halted for more than 10 minutes before resuming.
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn told reporters that Stiggers was conscious and talking on the field before being put on the stretcher, according to KSAT. Glenn said Stiggers was able to talk and that he planned to check on him after practice, indicating the cornerback was doing okay. New York Jets medical staff took the necessary steps to attend to Stiggers on the sideline, and per Newsday, Glenn praised the speed and efficiency of that response as staff administered IV fluids during the delay before Stiggers was transported to the hospital.
Teammates described the moment as jarring. Running back Breece Hall said the scene was very sad and emotional, while defensive tackle Harrison Phillips said things were on the up and up in the aftermath, per the station's report on the incident.
A Heated Session Turns Serious
The practice had already been tense well before Stiggers went down. Stiggers himself was involved in a scuffle-related incident in which a Buccaneers player flung his helmet down the field, and the session included several other flare-ups between the two teams, including a shoving match that started when Buccaneers right tackle Luke Goedeke pushed Jets defensive end David Bailey, as reported by The Mirror. Glenn has noted that such dust-ups are common during joint practices, per the same outlet.
The physical intensity played out under punishing weather conditions. High temperatures in Florham Park reached the upper 80s with high humidity, pushing the heat index above 90 degrees following earlier severe thunderstorm watches, according to the National Weather Service. High humidity significantly raises the risk of exertional heat illness during strenuous outdoor activity, a factor the NFL takes seriously enough that the league works with the University of Connecticut's Korey Stringer Institute to enforce heat illness protocols requiring immediate removal from play, rapid core temperature checks, and IV fluids for players who show disorientation or collapse.
An Unlikely Path to the NFL
Whatever caused Tuesday's collapse, it interrupted the camp of a player whose route to professional football is almost without precedent. Stiggers was selected by the Jets in the fifth round, 176th overall, in the 2024 draft, taken directly out of the Canadian Football League without ever playing college football. He was the first player drafted straight from the CFL since Miami selected Jermaine Haley in 1999.
Before reaching the CFL, Stiggers' path ran through personal tragedy. His football career stalled in 2020 after his father suffered a severe car accident and died seven months later while Stiggers was a freshman at Lane College, a loss that led him to drop out of school due to depression and take gig jobs like DoorDash to support his family of 13, according to background reported by Sportsnet. His mother later signed him up for a tryout with Fan Controlled Football, a live-streamed, 7-on-7 indoor league in Atlanta where fans voted on plays, and that comeback carried him to the Toronto Argonauts, where he earned CFL Most Outstanding Rookie honors and All-Star recognition in 2023 after recording 56 tackles and five interceptions in 16 games.
A Growing Role With the Jets
Stiggers is entering his third season with New York and has become one of the team's top special teams contributors. Over 29 games with the Jets he has recorded 35 tackles, three passes defensed, and two fumble recoveries, and started five games, including an appearance against the Jacksonville Jaguars in December. Last season he finished fourth on the team with 287 special teams snaps and seven special teams tackles, earning a 70.4 Pro Football Focus special teams grade, per Jets X-Factor.
Stiggers' exact medical diagnosis from Tuesday's hospital visit has not been released, and it remains unclear whether heat played the primary role in his collapse or how quickly he might be cleared to return to practice ahead of the team's upcoming preseason game. Glenn's comments Tuesday suggested optimism about Stiggers' condition, but the team has not provided further updates on his status since he left the field.
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