NFL Levies Heavy Punishment on Cowboys, Saints for Fighting at Practice

The Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints faced significant consequences for the brawl that erupted during their joint practice earlier this week. The NFL has fined both teams a hefty $500,000 each for the violent altercation that transpired at the joint session. According to Ian Rapoport on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, the NFL confirmed the hefty fines for the two teams involved in the fight.

The Competition Committee has placed a strong emphasis on sportsmanship, including at joint practices, over the past few years. Prior to the commencement of the training camp, all clubs were issued a memo emphasizing their responsibility in preventing unsportsmanlike behavior during joint practices that could lead to injuries. On Tuesday, Clarence Hill Jr., a longtime Cowboys reporter, reported that there had been a total of seven fights at the joint practice between the Cowboys and Saints.

Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer expressed his disappointment following the practice, stating that it was not the way the team would like to conduct business. He mentioned, "Gotta be better, but I gotta look at the film. We certainly not gonna take [expletive] from anybody, but again, it was chippy on both sides. Like I said, I want our guys to play on the edge without going over the edge."

Schottenheimer confirmed that linebacker Donovan Ezeiruaku was removed from practice due to his actions, which might have involved throwing a punch.

New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore also addressed the chaotic atmosphere at the joint practice. He said, "Obviously, you guys saw all the chippiness of it. Not the ideal flow of the joint practice, but we got the work that we needed." Clips from the fights between the Cowboys and Saints can be viewed below.