Cowboys, Saints fined $500,000 each for fights at joint practice

The NFL has fined the Cowboys and the Saints $500,000 each for their fights during their joint practice this week.

The Competition Committee has made sportsmanship, including at joint practices, a point of emphasis. The league sent a memo before training camp reminding teams of their responsibility to prevent unsportsmanlike behavior at joint practices to reduce the risk of injury.

Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said earlier Thursday that the league had requested film of the joint practice.

The teams had double-digit fights on Tuesday, according to multiple reports, and officials tossed Cowboys outside linebacker Donovan Ezeiruaku after he threw a punch. Other punches went without repercussions.

Schottenheimer and Saints head coach Kellen Moore, who played for and coached for the Cowboys, discussed ending the practice early after failing to get things under control. They continued to the end, with neither coach happy.