Qwan’tez Stiggers, sidelined for two weeks following a hospital visit after fainting during practice, returned to the field Friday to force an interception and recover a fumble for the New York Jets. The defensive plays occurred during the Jets' 23-6 preseason loss to the Giants.
Stiggers, who was diagnosed with heat-related vasovagal syncope, spent time in the NFL's concussion protocol. "It was pretty scary," Stiggers said after the game. "I thank God that everything was OK. Credit to the training staff for doing an excellent job assessing and getting me the proper care I need."
He expressed gratitude for the team's approach to his recovery, stating, "I just wanted to pick up where I left off. I’m grateful to continue to be here. And I trust in this coaching staff to put me in great position. I was trying to go [back to play] the week before, but they were like, ‘Give your body some time to heal.’ "
Stiggers returned to practice earlier this week and started Friday's game with the Jets' entire first-team secondary resting. Early in his matchup against Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr., Stiggers made an impact when Beckham slipped on a route. Stiggers batted the ball down, leading to an interception by Marcelino McCrary-Ball. The Jets' defense, which historically struggled with takeaways, recorded this disruption against a player Stiggers admired growing up.
"It was definitely a surreal moment to go against Odell because I used to watch him all the time — the one-hand catches and the dancing," Stiggers said. "I used to have a mohawk just like him, but when you are between the lines there aren’t any friends; just win your one-on-one."
Later in the first quarter, Stiggers and McCrary-Ball, both natives of Atlanta, combined for another takeaway inside the red zone with Stiggers recovering a fumble. "Complementary football between me and Marcelino," Stiggers commented.
However, Stiggers also committed a 15-yard penalty for interfering with a punt returner. "I was trying to put [my blocker] into the returner, and he kind of bailed out last minute," Stiggers explained. "It won’t happen again."
Additionally, Stiggers was involved in a near-touchdown play for the Giants. Beckham got past Stiggers, but a long pass from Jameis Winston narrowly missed a diving Beckham.
Stiggers, in his third season since being drafted out of the Canadian Football League without playing college football, is a second-team cornerback whose value is also derived from special teams contributions. This performance marked a significant return after his health scare.