Cowboys and Saints Clash in Dramatic Practice
Tuesday’s joint practice between the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints descended into chaos. At least six fights broke out, with players throwing punches and helmets flying off. Notable among these incidents, Saints tight end Brock Rechsteiner, the son of former WWE star Scott Steiner, executed a wrestling-style suplex on a Cowboys defender, sending him to the ground.
Both head coaches, Kellen Moore of the Saints and Brian Schottenheimer of the Cowboys, expressed concern. They acknowledged the competitive spirit but felt the situation went too far. At one point, they even contemplated canceling the practice session.
“We kind of had agreed that if a couple of other things happened, we would cancel it, but they worked through it,” Schottenheimer said. “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 in Joint Practices
While physicality is expected in joint practices, Tuesday’s encounter exceeded normal levels. The event prompted Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk to suggest a straightforward solution: fines. Florio proposed that the NFL could assert control by imposing fines for fights, potentially curbing future incidents.
Under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the NFL has the authority to fine players for altercations during joint practices. Historically, the league targets teams rather than individual players. For instance, in 2024, the Detroit Lions and New York Giants were both fined $200,000 for multiple fights during joint sessions in August. The altercations involved notable players such as the Giants’ Malik Nabers, Daniel Jones, and Dru Phillips, along with the Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell, and Kerby Joseph.
Possible Disciplinary Actions
Although teams usually face fines, individual players can be subject to internal discipline, ejections, or suspensions from drills. The NFL is over halfway through its 2026 preseason joint practice sessions, raising questions about whether incidents will persist and if the league will intervene.