The NFL fined the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints substantial fines each following multiple bench-clearing brawls during a joint training session in Oxnard, California, according to reports from Reuters. The total penalty addresses a volatile practice session that featured thrown punches, flying helmets, and a professional wrestling suplex thrown by a rookie wide receiver with familial ties to WWE legends.
Oxnard Joint Practice Devolves Into Multiple Brawls
The joint training camp designed to sharpen team performance ahead of the upcoming season quickly dissolved into chaos on the practice fields in Oxnard, California. According to Reuters, the two teams engaged in repeated altercations throughout the day as physical play and mounting emotions boiled over between offensive and defensive units operating across two separate fields.
Fights escalated when scuffles on one field drew players from adjacent practice areas into the fray. Witnesses and league summaries noted that the confrontation featured traded punches, a helmet hurled across the turf, and a physical clash where one player was grabbed and forcefully slammed to the ground, according to reports from local media coverage corroborating Reuters.
Brock Rexsteiner Brings WWE-Style Suplex to the NFL Field
Among the participants involved in the physical altercations, New Orleans Saints rookie wide receiver Brock Rexsteiner drew considerable attention for deploying a literal professional wrestling maneuver during the chaos. Rexsteiner is the son of legendary professional wrestler Scott Steiner and the nephew of Rick Steiner, both of whom are inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
According to league documentation of the incident, Rexsteiner grabbed Dallas Cowboys safety Jalen Thompson, lifted him entirely off the ground, and drove him backward into the turf in a movement described by the NFL as a suplex. The display bridged the gap between his family’s sports-entertainment pedigree and the unyielding intensity of an NFL training camp.
Coaches Contemplate Early Termination as Tempers Flare
The continuous escalation nearly forced coaches from both organizations to halt the workout entirely. Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer and New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore discussed shutting down the joint session early as minor and major skirmishes persisted.
Ultimately, players regained their composure, allowing the workout to reach its scheduled conclusion. Speaking after the session, Brian Schottenheimer noted that a few more incidents would have prompted him to cancel the practice outright. “No one wants this situation. We wanted a proper training session,” Schottenheimer said, adding that while things calmed down in the latter half, the opening tone was excessively rough and unfortunate.
Kellen Moore echoed those sentiments, pointing out that too many non-football distractions interfered with the core purpose of the joint camp.
League Enforcement and Sportsmanship Mandates
The hefty financial penalties reflect the NFL’s strict enforcement policies regarding conduct during inter-squad practices. The league office stated that sportsmanship during joint practices has remained a core administrative focus over recent years.
Prior to the opening of training camp, league officials distributed a memo reminding all participating franchises that individual clubs bear the responsibility of preventing un-sportsmanlike actions that carry high risks of injury during multi-team workouts. With the fines assessed to both the Cowboys and the Saints, the league signaled zero tolerance for preventable violence outside of scheduled game action.
Both franchises will turn their focus toward upcoming preseason preparations and roster cuts as training camps wind down. Fans and analysts can follow official updates and injury reports through club channels and the league’s primary media portal.
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