What was supposed to be a normal joint practice turned into something that looked more like a fight night.
Now the NFL has decided to make sure both teams remember it.
The Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints have each been fined $500,000 after multiple fights broke out during their joint practice Tuesday in Oxnard, California.
That’s $1 million combined.
And the NFL clearly wasn’t amused.
It Wasn’t Just One Fight
This wasn’t your usual training-camp shoving match.
There were multiple altercations on both practice fields, with players leaving their own areas to join the chaos. Punches were thrown, a helmet was tossed during one incident, and another player was reportedly body-slammed.
At one point, things got so heated that Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer and Saints coach Kellen Moore discussed whether they should end practice early.
They ultimately decided to continue.
Probably not the easiest decision they’ve ever made.
The NFL Had Already Warned Everyone
Here’s the part that makes the $500,000 fines make even more sense.
The NFL had already reminded every team before training camp that preventing fights during joint practices was a priority.
The league specifically warned teams about unsportsmanlike behavior that could potentially cause injuries.
So when the Cowboys and Saints turned their practice into a full-blown brawl session?
The NFL wasn’t exactly going to shrug its shoulders.
One Player Was Ejected
Cowboys linebacker Donovan Ezeiruaku was ejected from the practice after throwing a punch.
And according to reports, this wasn’t even his first ejection during this training camp.
That’s going to be something the Cowboys will certainly want to address.
Jerry Jones has already said the Cowboys plan to appeal the $500,000 fine, but the team also intends to discipline players internally for their involvement.
And Then There’s the WWE Moment 😳
One of the wildest moments involved Saints rookie receiver Brock Rechsteiner.
Yes — that Brock Rechsteiner.
He’s the son of WWE Hall of Famer Scott Steiner.
During one of the fights, Rechsteiner was involved in an altercation with Cowboys safety Jalen Thompson that ended with Thompson being body-slammed to the ground.
Let’s just say nobody watching that practice was expecting to see a wrestling move.
Coaches Weren’t Happy
Schottenheimer wasn’t exactly celebrating the intensity afterward.
The Cowboys coach expressed disappointment that the fighting prevented the teams from getting the productive work they were supposed to get from the joint session.
That’s the real problem.
Joint practices are supposed to give teams a chance to compete against somebody other than their own teammates before the regular season.
Instead, the Cowboys and Saints spent a chunk of their day fighting each other.
And They’re Going to See Each Other Again
Here’s where this gets interesting.
The Cowboys and Saints are scheduled to meet again in the preseason finale on August 28.
So after everything that happened in Oxnard, these teams are going to share a football field again in just over a week.
Will things be calmer?
Probably.
Will everyone forget what happened?
Absolutely not. 😂
$1 Million Later…
The NFL has made its message pretty clear.
Play hard.
Be physical.
Compete.
But don’t turn a joint practice into a street fight.
The Cowboys and Saints now have a combined $1 million reminder of that rule.
And considering they’ll meet again on August 28, there’s one question fans are probably already asking:
