The NFL fined the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints $500,000 each on Thursday following multiple altercations during a joint practice earlier in the week. The league confirmed the penalties in a statement, emphasizing sportsmanship as a point of emphasis for joint practices in recent years.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones plans to personally fine players he deems responsible for the fighting, according to insider reports. Jones also intends to appeal the league’s fine, while the NFL has signaled a zero-tolerance stance on unsportsmanlike conduct during training camp activities.
The brawls at the Cowboys-Saints joint practice included six to eight separate fights, with players throwing punches, tossing helmets, and one Saints player executing a WWE-style suplex on a Dallas defender. Cowboys linebacker Donovan Ezeiruaku was ejected for throwing punches, and safety Jalen Thompson and linebacker Sam Williams were also involved in multiple altercations, per reports.
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer acknowledged the team’s role in the incident, stating, “There's a discipline element to playing this football game. Unfortunately, we didn't handle that well.” Saints head coach Kellen Moore described the practice as “chippy” but noted the team completed its required work.
The NFL’s Competition Committee has prioritized sportsmanship at joint practices, with all 32 teams receiving reminders prior to training camp about preventing unsportsmanlike behavior that could lead to injury. This week alone, four consecutive days of joint practices featured fights or skirmishes, including incidents involving the Miami Dolphins-New York Giants and Denver Broncos.
Jones’ decision to fine players directly contrasts with the Giants-Lions joint practice brawl in 2022, where neither team punished individual players despite a $200,000 fine per team. The Cowboys’ approach reflects a stricter enforcement philosophy under Jones’ ownership.
The league’s fine comes amid broader concerns about escalating violence during training camp activities, with some analysts arguing that player fines for misconduct during joint practices could further deter such behavior. The NFL has not yet indicated whether it will impose additional penalties on individual players involved in the brawls.