If NFL issued fines for fights during joint practices, the fights would stop

Published August 19, 2026 07:24 PM It’s joint practice fighting season, with Tuesday’s all-out brawl between the Saints and Cowboys making its way to NBC Nightly News.There’s a simple fix.The NFL should exercise jurisdiction over joint practices, issuing fines (and other discipline, when necessary) for any fights that occur.That would end it. At a minimum, it would give cooler heads a very good reason to prevail, if/when things heat up.It’s one thing for the league to not issue discipline for fights occurring at individual team practices. When two teams get together, the NFL should be willing to ensure that the hitting doesn’t continue after the whistle blows. Although the sport is premised on violence, any punches, kicks, helmet swings, etc. that happen after a play has ended are basically workplace violence. If the teams aren’t going to do anything about it, the league absolutely should intervene.Especially since, the moment a player is seriously injured during one of these preventable brouhahas, the victim’s lawyer will claim that the NFL failed to remove a clear — and preventable — occupational hazard.