Fights Break Out at Cowboys-Saints Joint Practice
The joint practice between the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints on Tuesday descended into chaos with a series of altercations. At least six fights erupted during the session. Players clashed with punches thrown and helmets removed. Saints tight end Brock Rechsteiner, son of former WWE wrestler Scott Steiner, executed a wrestling-style suplex on a Cowboys defender, driving him to the ground.
The head coaches of both teams, the Saints’ Kellen Moore and the Cowboys’ Brian Schottenheimer, acknowledged the excessive aggression. Both coaches admitted that they nearly called off practice. Schottenheimer commented, “We kind of had agreed that if a couple of other things happened, we would cancel it, but they worked through it. Again, they settled into it, but again, there’s a discipline element to playing this football game, and unfortunately we didn’t handle that very well today.”
“Physicality at joint practices isn’t unexpected, but Tuesday’s escalation prompted a call for stricter measures.”
In response to the unruly events, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio suggested that the NFL should impose fines on players involved in fights during joint practices. Florio argued that enforcing financial penalties could deter such behavior. The NFL has the authority to fine players for fighting, as outlined in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Historically, fines have targeted organizations rather than individual players.
For instance, in 2024, the Detroit Lions and New York Giants each faced fines of $200,000 after fights marred their joint practices. The altercations featured several well-known players from both teams, including the Giants’ Malik Nabers, Daniel Jones, Dru Phillips, and the Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell, and Kerby Joseph.
Although teams typically bear the brunt of the financial penalties, players can also face consequences such as internal team discipline, ejections, or direct fines from the league. As the NFL proceeds through its 2026 preseason joint practice schedule, the question remains whether these incidents will persist and if the league will intervene.