NFL Announces Punishment For Saints-Cowboys Brawl
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
The NFL dropped the hammer on two teams Thursday. League officials fined the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints $500,000 each. The penalties stem from multiple brawls during their joint practice earlier this week.
Adam Schefter first reported the news. The Competition Committee has stressed sportsmanship at joint practices for years. Clubs received reminders before training camp about preventing unsportsmanlike behavior that risks injury.
NFL fined the Cowboys and Saints $500,000 each for what it called “the actions that took place at the joint practice between the teams earlier this week.”
The Competition Committee has made sportsmanship – including at joint practices – a point of emphasis over the past several…
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 20, 2026
NFL Issues Big Fines After Practice Fights
The session took place on Tuesday in Oxnard, California. Both teams entered after tough 2025 seasons. Physical drills quickly turned into chaos.
At least six separate fights broke out. Some reports counted as many as eight skirmishes. Players shoved, punched, and tossed helmets. Coaches stepped in repeatedly to restore order.
Cowboys outside linebacker Donovan Ezeiruaku got ejected after throwing punches. He tangled with Saints center Erik McCoy. One Saints player threw a helmet high into the air during a melee.
Saints tight end Brock Rechsteiner, son of WWE star Scott Steiner, body-slammed Cowboys safety Jalen Thompson. Cornerback Caelen Carson also threw punches.
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer sounded frustrated after the session.
“A little chippy,” he said. “Not the way we like to do business. We got to be better.”
He added that the teams almost ended the practice early.
“We’re certainly not going to take s— from anybody. It was chippy on both sides.”
NFL Joint Practice Chaos Limits Team Work
The second-year head coach wanted his players to stay on the edge without crossing it. The fights left him disappointed overall.
“Our football team needs this work,” he explained. “Overall, I was disappointed in the work today because I don’t think we got enough good work.”
Players from both sides mixed after the session ended. The competitive fire spilled over during live periods. One video captured the intensity as groups of players piled into the scrums.
Brock Rechsteiner, son of Scott Steiner, hits a German Suplex during the Cowboys and Saints joint practice today.
(🎥: @nofnetwork) pic.twitter.com/lZtqAS6D9M
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) August 18, 2026
The Cowboys-Saints practice fights showed how quickly joint sessions can escalate. Similar joint practice intensity has marked other recent training camps.
The league made its stance clear with the heavy fines. Both organizations must now answer for the lack of control. The regular season approaches fast, and these teams need cleaner competition moving forward.
