Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Dealt Bad News Before NFL Season

The NFL announced punishment for Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys after training camp incident.

by Ayomide Adeduyite

Aug 20, 2026

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys are moving toward the 2026 NFL season after completing their joint practice schedule in Oxnard, California. Dallas opened its preseason with a 17-7 victory over the Seattle Seahawks and is preparing for its next preseason games against the Arizona Cardinals on Aug. 22 and New Orleans Saints on Aug. 28.

Preparation was disrupted Tuesday when the Cowboys and Saints had multiple altercations during their joint practice. At least six fights broke out, including one that saw Saints rookie Brock Rechsteiner slam Cowboys safety Jalen Thompson to the ground. Cowboys linebacker Donovan Ezeiruaku was also ejected after throwing a punch. Dallas coach Brian Schottenheimer described the session as “a little chippy” and said both teams were responsible for the escalation (h/t The Athletics’ Jon Machota).

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Unfortunately for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys, the NFL has now responded to the incident. Dallas and New Orleans were each fined $500,000 for their conduct during the joint practice, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The league confirmed the penalties after its Competition Committee made sportsmanship at joint practices a point of emphasis in recent years.

The NFL had reminded all 32 teams before training camp of their responsibility to prevent unsportsmanlike behavior at joint practices, particularly conduct that could result in injuries. The Cowboys and Saints’ practice ultimately continued after the teams’ coaches discussed whether to end the session early.

Schottenheimer expressed disappointment that the teams did not get the quality work they intended. The Cowboys will now turn their attention toward the remainder of the preseason and their preparations for the regular season.