Multiple altercations broke out during a joint practice between the New Orleans Saints and the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday in Oxnard, California, leading Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer to describe the session as "fight club."
The practice, intended for teams to get valuable work in ahead of the season, was marred by several skirmishes where punches were thrown. Dallas linebacker Donovan Ezeiruaku was ejected after officials saw him throw a punch, and video showed cornerback Caelen Carson also throwing a punch, though he was not removed from the practice.
One notable incident involved suspended Saints wide receiver Brock Rechsteiner, the son of WWE Hall of Famer Scott Steiner. Rechsteiner used a move described as a German suplex to take down Cowboys safety Jalen Thompson.
Schottenheimer conveyed his dissatisfaction with the outcome of the practice. "Nobody wants this. We want to get the work in. I thought it settled down and it was very chippy early on, but it was unfortunate," he told reporters. "Our football team needs this work, and overall, I was disappointed in the work today because I didn’t think we got enough good work."
He added that he and Saints head coach Kellen Moore had discussed ending the practice early if the fighting persisted, but it did not reach that point. Schottenheimer acknowledged that his team was expected to play with an edge but stated that the Saints were not solely responsible for the disruptions.
"But at the same time, I don’t think [the Saints] were the only ones stirring up the s–t," Schottenheimer said. "I think we might’ve been stirring it up as well. It was a sloppy practice all and all, and it’s got to be better."