The Cowboys and Saints were fined for fights at joint practices, but each team was fined $500,000, bringing the combined total to $1 million, not $500,000.
Mostly False
The Cowboys and Saints were fined a combined $500,000 for brawls during joint practices.
Cowboys, Saints fined $500,000 each by NFL for fights at joint practice - The Athletic
Source: nytimes.com
At a glance
Verified August 21, 2026Key Evidence
The Athletic, ESPN, NBC Sports and The Washington Post each reported that the NFL fined the Cowboys and Saints $500,000 apiece.
USA on August 21, 2026 reported the resulting combined penalty as $1 million.
The reports agree that the fines followed multiple fights during the teams’ joint practices in Oxnard, California, although some descriptions use the singular “joint practice” and others refer to two practices.
The reporting
What the Evidence Shows
The NFL fined both the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints $500,000 each after multiple fights during their joint practices in Oxnard, California, according to reporting from The Athletic, ESPN, NBC Sports and The Washington Post. The teams therefore faced a combined fine of $1 million.
The claim correctly identifies the teams, the league discipline and the connection to brawls during joint practices. Its central financial figure is wrong, however. It appears to treat the fine imposed on one team as the total for both teams. USA Today’s headline explicitly describes the combined penalty as $1 million and says the two teams held two joint practices, while several other reports refer more generally to a fight-filled joint practice or practices.
Because the amount is a material part of the claim, the statement cannot be rated fully accurate. The underlying event occurred, but the total fine was twice the amount stated.
Primary trail
Verified Sources10
Open source