Mike McCarthy warns Cowboys not to fight in joint practice with Rams: 'It's a waste of time'

The NFL has already made it clear it won’t tolerate fighting during joint practices, and Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy echoed much of the same Tuesday.

With the Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams holding a joint practice Thursday ahead of Sunday’s preseason opener, McCarthy warned against his players getting into fights with Rams players, calling it a “waste of time.”

“It’s a waste of time,” McCarthy said, via Pro Football Talk. “I don’t want guys fighting. That’s not toughness, it’s lack of discipline. We want the work to get to that emotional edge to push each other, but you’ve got to handle those spots. That’s all part of the emotional challenge in the game of football. I’m not looking for that. I know Sean’s not looking for it either. There’s no concern. We want to have a hell of a practice, that’s why we’re working together, and I think the work Thursday will be great.”

Teams were reminded in a memo last month that fighting and unprofessional conduct at joint practices would not be tolerated. The NFL took action against the Detroit Lions and New York Giants Wednesday, fining each team $200,000 for the multiple fights that broke out during joint practices this week.

Cowboys preparing to go head-to-head with Rams in joint practice, preseason opener

McCarthy said he isn’t concerned about the level of aggression between the Lions and Giants as Dallas prepares to line up opposite of Los Angeles Thursday.

“No, it doesn’t,” McCarthy said. “I think like anything in our industry, it all comes down to why you do things.”

McCarthy added that he and Rams head coach Sean McVay are on the same page as it relates to their joint practice.

“I like the way Sean runs his program,” McCarthy said. “We talked early in the spring about working together.”

The Cowboys and Rams previously hosted a joint practice together back in 2021. That practice included a brief scuffle between then Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald and former Cowboys guard Connor Williams.

With training camp now well into the dog days, it’s natural for players to get excited about facing off against another team, even in practice. Cowboys veteran tailback Ezekiel Elliott is one of those players.

“Our team has a lot of vets, and a lot will not play much in the preseason,” Elliott said. “So, it’s good to get some different looks in practice at a little bit different speed.”