Like so many joint practices before it, a collaboration between the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins quickly escalated into a melee. Thursday’s joint practice between the two teams in Miami got physical fast, with a large number of players getting involved in multiple scrums and having to get separated by coaches.
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Dolphins right tackle Austin Jackson and Giants right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor were both reportedly ejected from practice after throwing punches. Giants backup quarterback Jameis Winston was reportedly also involved in the fight, and was taken out for a few plays.
Jackson, who was reportedly kicked out after punching Giants linebacker Arvell Reese in the helmet, later returned to Miami’s offensive line for the final series.
It was the second NFL joint practice to break out into a fight this week: The Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints ended up in multiple skirmishes in a practice on Tuesday. The league went on to fine the teams $500,00 each.
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In a press conference after Thursday’s practice, Giants head coach John Harbaugh spoke on the tendency for these joint practices to escalate.
“It’s just football,” Harbaugh said. “It’s not a game, so you don’t have the same, quite, guardrails on it. And it’s a violent game. And so, in this sort of an environment, you have these rules of engagement that aren’t really rules of the game.
“And then somebody perceives somebody else goes over the line, or they do go over the line, and somebody needs to protect somebody, and that’s where it goes. And I think as long as it doesn’t get out of control where we get a violent type of situation, it’s fine.”
Harbaugh said that players who took certain actions in a melee would be punished like they were in a game, which is why Eluemunor was kicked out of practice.
“We decided that anybody that threw a punch in those scrimmages would be treated like a game,” Harbaugh said. “He [Eluemunor] didn’t really throw a hard punch, but it was to the facemask, and that’ll get you in the game. So, that’s a 15-yarder at least. So, we decided that we were following those rules of engagement, and that’s what we did with that one.”
Like Harbaugh, Dolphins HC Jeff Hafley also planned to take out players who threw a punch, saying in a press conference ahead of Thursday’s practice that he would be “very, very disappointed” in any players who did so. Hafley spoke about trying to keep his players from getting involved in fights, saying that the “mentally tough” approach was to find ways to stay focused on the next play when they get frustrated.
“It’s the same thing that I say every day to the team. I mean, that’s not tough. Anybody who’s been around me and watched us play, I wanna toe the line and I wanna play physical and I wanna be tough, but fighting’s not tough,” Hafley said. “In a game, what’s gonna happen when you’re frustrated? You’re gonna get thrown out of the game? If you throw a punch, you’re gone.”
The Dolphins coach also pointed out that ejecting players will be easier than ever: Starting this season, league personnel can talk to on-field officials about potential disqualification without being called, as part of a crop of new league rules.
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Unfortunately, those warnings didn’t seem to fully take hold ahead of Thursday’s practice. It’s not clear if the NFL will decide to fine these teams the same hefty fine as the Cowboys and Saints. Punishment of individual players will be up to their teams.
