The NFL has fined both the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints $500,000 each following a heated joint practice that resulted in multiple brawls. The league cited unsportsmanlike conduct and the potential for player injury during the August 18, 2026, practice in Oxnard, California.
"The Competition Committee has made sportsmanship — including at joint practices — a point of emphasis over the past several years. All clubs were reminded by memo prior to training camp of their responsibility in preventing unsportsmanlike behavior at joint practices that has the potential to result in injury," the NFL stated, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones announced that the team plans to appeal the fine. Jones also indicated that the Cowboys organization would internally fine players deemed responsible for the league's decision.
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer expressed disappointment with the practice, describing it as a "fight club" and stating that "nobody wants this." He added that the team needed productive work, which he felt was compromised by the altercations. "I thought it settled down and it was very chippy early on, but it was unfortunate," Schottenheimer said. "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."
Among the players observed involved in the scuffles was Saints wide receiver Brock Rechsteiner. The Cowboys and Saints are scheduled to play their preseason finale on August 30, 2026, at AT&T Stadium.
