The Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints could face disciplinary action from the NFL after their heated joint practice featured nearly double-digit fights and skirmishes.
According to Cowboys reporter Joseph Hoyt, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said the NFL has requested film from the Cowboys-Saints joint practice. The league can issue fines for fights that occur during joint practices, putting the events in Oxnard under additional scrutiny.
The Cowboys and Saints held a particularly physical practice on Tuesday, with tensions repeatedly boiling over between players. Schottenheimer confirmed that the league’s request is related to the incidents during practice. However, no fines have been issued as of August 20.
The NFL’s review could determine whether any players or teams are disciplined for their involvement in the altercations. The league typically reviews practice footage when fights escalate beyond normal competitive contact, particularly during joint practices involving multiple teams. For the Cowboys, the focus now shifts from what happened on the field to what the league finds after reviewing the footage.
What happened at the Cowboys-Saints joint practice?
The Cowboys and Saints’ joint practice on August 18 in Oxnard, California, devolved into a chaotic series of fights that left coaches frustrated and the league reviewing film for potential fines.
While multiple reporters offered different counts, the consensus was that at least six separate skirmishes broke out during the session, with some estimates reaching as high as eight or even double-digit altercations. The fighting was so persistent that Cowboys head coach Schottenheimer and Saints head coach Kellen Moore discussed ending practice early.
The chaos began early when Cowboys running back Javonte Williams was roughed up on a rushing play, with a Saints defender appearing to throw a punch at him. That incident set a chippy tone, but the most significant escalation came from Cowboys outside linebacker Donovan Ezeiruaku.
He went after multiple Saints offensive linemen, and the coaching staff eventually ejected him from practice for throwing punches. This marked the second time during training camp that Ezeiruaku was ejected for throwing a punch. He had previously received a kick out for punching offensive tackle Terence Steele.
His primary target in the scrum was Saints center Erik McCoy, who at one point grabbed Ezeiruaku’s helmet and tossed it across the field. The most viral moment of the practice came when Saints undrafted rookie receiver Brock Rechsteiner, the son of WWE Hall of Famer Scott Steiner, clashed with Cowboys cornerback Caelen Carson.
Carson threw a punch during the altercation but was allowed to remain in practice. As Cowboys safety Jalen Thompson came in to break up the fight, Rechsteiner grabbed him and executed a German suplex, body slamming Thompson to the turf. Saints wide receiver Ronnie Bell also walked off the field with heat-related issues after being involved in one of the brawls.
After the practice, a visibly frustrated Schottenheimer acknowledged the lack of discipline, saying, “Right now, I’m in charge of the fight club”. He added that both sides shared blame, stating, “I don’t think [the Saints] were the only ones stirring up the s—. I think we might’ve been stirring it up as well”.
The league has since requested film of the practice and could issue fines under the collective bargaining agreement’s joint practice rules, though no discipline has been confirmed beyond Ezeiruaku’s ejection. However, Cowboys players have not been officially fined, and the NFL has not announced any disciplinary decisions.
