Jerry Jones’ Dallas Cowboys are coming off a difficult 2025 NFL season, finishing with a disappointing 7-9-1 record. The Dak Prescott-led offense helped the Cowboys score 471 points, the seventh-highest in the NFL. Meanwhile, the defense allowed a grand total of 511 points, finishing last in the league.
The Cowboys enter the 2026 NFL season with a number of changes and a mindset focused on rectifying their defensive errors, and discipline will play a huge factor in avoiding giving opponents cheap yardage due to personal fouls or missing reps due to ejections. That is something Cowboys second-year edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku will need to understand quickly.
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Cowboys’ joint practice with the New Orleans Saints was a heated affair, which ended in a massive brawl. A number of post-whistle incidents led to Ezeiruaku eventually exchanging punches with Saints center Erik McCoy after McCoy had tossed a Cowboys player’s helmet. This led to the ejection of Ezeiruaku, his second ejection during training camp.
Jerry Jones and the Cowboys selected Ezeiruaku 44th overall in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft. This pick also paid dividends in his rookie season, as he recorded 40 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. While the Cowboys see him as a pivotal piece of their pass rush, it’s equally important for them to address these disciplinary issues.
The NFL, after reviewing the footage from the Cowboys-Saints joint practice, decided to punish both franchises with $500,000 fines. Jones has taken matters into his own hands to send a clear message to the team.
While Jones will appeal the NFL’s fine, he has also indicated that the Cowboys plan to punish the players involved in the incident. Jones, while addressing the reporters in Oxnard following the Cowboys’ final training-camp practice, said, “I think that you have to have consequences, and that needs to register.”
“And our plan is, I haven’t confirmed that where he [Ezeiruaku] is in the situation. But the players that are involved in it have the kind of infractions that they’re fining the club for certainly will receive fines,” he added.
The Cowboys will play the Arizona Cardinals in their next preseason game after defeating the Seattle Seahawks 17-7 in the preseason opener.
