The dog days of summer are in full effect, and NFL training camps are taking their toll. Take, for instance, Tuesday's joint practice between the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints in Oxnard, California. The NFC rivals squared off for a full practice in pads. That meant competing, hitting and some guys performing for their jobs. The result was a scrimmage that was spicy throughout and eventually erupted to multiple big fights and the ejection of Cowboys defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku. There was the normal pushing and shoving that should be expected from any sort of joint practice. This involved Saints wide receiver Chris Olave and Cowboys safety Malik Hooker, among others.
Chris Olave getting in Malik Hooker's face. Buckeye on Buckeye crime. pic.twitter.com/VrWWy5HKpb — NOF (@nofnetwork) August 18, 2026
Brevyn Spann-Ford gets into it with a Saints player because that’s just how the day is going. pic.twitter.com/vplYblVwRt — Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) August 18, 2026
But things really got heated multiple times as full-on fights broke out between pretty much all the players on the field. Helmets were tossed.
Big fight between the Cowboys defense and Saints offense. One Saints player chucked a Cowboys’ player helmet. pic.twitter.com/fudi2abRqL — Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) August 18, 2026
Bodies were slammed.
BAH GAWD THAT'S BROCK RECHSTEINER'S MUSIC!#Saints and #Cowboys in another huge fight. Wait for the slam at 0:17: pic.twitter.com/hDt71jfnbC — NOF (@nofnetwork) August 18, 2026
And punches were thrown.
Things are getting way out of hand at Cowboys-Saints pic.twitter.com/6dz65OnRG9 — Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) August 18, 2026
That Cowboys player squaring up and throwing a right hook was Ezeiruaku. His intended target was Saints center Erik McCoy, who lost his helmet earlier in the scuffle. McCoy just happens to be the same guy who picked up a Cowboys helmet and tossed it in one of the other scuffles. Here's that helmet toss from another angle.
Just before this video began, Donovan Ezeiruaku tried to take on the whole Saints roster pic.twitter.com/m3o1M6zOZ1 — Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) August 18, 2026
The helmet toss and the body slam appeared to slip by without consequence. But for his punch, Ezeiruaku was ejected from practice.
Donavon E tossed from practice for throwing a punch. Again No one tossed for throwing helmets pic.twitter.com/Op3qAJkpVu — Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) August 18, 2026
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer offered the obligatory disappointment with a player "going over the edge" and getting tossed. But the beginning of his post-practice answer to reporters more likely expresses his true feelings on the matter.
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer was not happy about all of the fights during today’s practice. Donovan Ezeiruaku was thrown out for throwing a punch pic.twitter.com/TVdFJe2GVy — Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 18, 2026
"We're certainly not gonna take s*** from anybody," Schottenheimer said. He acknowledged that "it was chippy on both sides." When asked who won the fights, Cowboys safety Jalen Thompson offered a less restrained response, per The Athletic's Jon Machota. "Of course we did," Thompson said. "Come on, now."