Joint practice sessions between the New York Giants and the Miami Dolphins were punctuated by multiple skirmishes on Thursday, despite coaches from both teams emphasizing the importance of discipline. Giants head coach John Harbaugh and Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley had both issued warnings prior to the practice, with Harbaugh stating that any player throwing a punch would be benched and Hafley expressing disappointment at the prospect of any altercations.
The practice did not proceed without incident. One notable confrontation began when Giants wide receiver Calvin Austin III took exception to being hit out of bounds. The ensuing fight involved quarterback Jameis Winston, and drew players from the far field to join the fray. Elsewhere, Giants defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux shoved a Dolphins offensive lineman to the ground, and linebacker Abdul Carter took a swing at offensive lineman Patrick Paul.
Despite the disruptions, there were moments where potential escalations were avoided. For example, when Dolphins linebacker Willie Gay slammed Giants running back Eric Gray to the ground, the situation did not devolve into a larger altercation.
Following the established guidelines, Giants right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor was replaced by Marcus Mbow late in the practice due to his involvement in an altercation. "He didn't really throw a hard punch, but it was to the facemask, and that'll get you in the game," Harbaugh explained. "So, that's a 15-yarder at least. So, we decided that we were following those rules of engagement, and that's what we did with that one."
Harbaugh expressed overall satisfaction with his team's emotional control during the practice. "It's not a game, so you don't have the same, quite, guardrails on it," he said. "And it's a violent game. And so, in this sort of an environment, you have these rules of engagement that aren't really rules of the game. And then somebody perceives somebody else goes over the line, or they do go over the line, and somebody needs to protect somebody, and that's where it goes. And I think as long as it doesn't get out of control where we get a violent type of situation, it's fine."
Running back Najee Harris, who signed with the Giants two days prior, participated in the joint practice and was observed making a cut for a touchdown. Harris, a former player for the Steelers, suffered an Achilles tendon tear in Week 3 of the previous season while with the Chargers. "He looked good," Harbaugh commented on Harris' performance.
Wide receiver Malik Nabers was held out of practice as expected. Additionally, Josh Ezeudu, who had taken over at guard after Eluemunor's departure, limped off the field at the end of practice.