A joint practice between the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints on Tuesday in Oxnard, California, devolved into a full-scale brawl, involving thrown punches, dislodged helmets, and even a wrestling-style suplex.
The intensity of the summer training camp, compounded by the heat and competition against an opposing team, boiled over between the two franchises. The practice session, intended to be a controlled environment for honing skills, saw multiple skirmishes erupt, culminating in a significant altercation.
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer described the incident as "fight club" and expressed disappointment, noting that his team did not get the necessary work done. "Nobody wants this," Schottenheimer told reporters. "Right now, I'm charge of fight club."
During the melee, several players were observed throwing punches. Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker Sam Williams and New Orleans Saints tight end Moliki Matavao were seen fighting. Cowboys cornerback Caelen Carson also threw a punch, according to video evidence. Saints center Erik McCoy reportedly removed a Cowboys player's helmet and threw it. In response, Cowboys linebacker Donovan Ezeiruaku, who was later removed from practice by officials for throwing a punch, also grabbed McCoy's helmet and threw it.
Adding to the unusual nature of the fight, Saints tight end Brock Rechsteiner, son of WWE Hall of Famer Scott Steiner, applied a suplex wrestling move on Cowboys safety Jalen Thompson.
Saints linebacker Pete Werner acknowledged the intensity but stressed the need for smart play. "You don't want punches thrown or anything like that," Werner said. "...But you want your guys protecting each other. There's a part of it that's good. Other part where it's, 'Let's be smart here. Let's get this moving.'"
Joint practices often serve as a substitute for preseason games for veteran players, allowing them to compete against starters from other teams. However, the disruption caused by the brawl meant the Cowboys and Saints did not achieve the intended benefits of the session.
The Saints are scheduled to hold a joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday. The Cowboys and Saints will not have a second joint practice session.