Joint practices are the norm during the NFL preseason. The Dallas Cowboys know that better than any team as they’re currently in the middle of joint practices with the LA Rams before the two sides battle it out in their preseason opener on Sunday.
While joint practices can be useful for working on techniques, they can also create even more tension between opponents. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy specifically outlined earlier this week that he doesn’t want to see any fights between Dallas and LA players during practice because they are “a waste of time” while displaying “a lack of discipline.”
Unfortunately, the Cowboys didn’t seem to get McCarthy’s memo.
Brock Hoffman Gets Physical with Rams
According to multiple Cowboys insiders, third-year center Brock Hoffman got into with some Rams players during Thursday’s joint practice. CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell reports that a “brief skirmish” broke out between Hoffman and a few LA defenders following a run play.
Mike McCarthy was very clear about not fighting at the #DallasCowboys joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams today, but we did have our first brief skirmish after a Cowboys run play. Center Brock Hoffman got in the face of a few Rams defensive linemen after a short gain.
— Garrett Podell (@garrettpodell) August 8, 2024
David Moore added that Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner was at the center of the dispute. Nevertheless, it sounds like the situation didn’t become too serious and both sides calmed down after a few minutes.
Thursday’s scrap isn’t the first time that tensions have risen between the Cowboys and Rums during a joint practice. You only have to go back to 2021 when the recently retired Aaron Donald became extremely physical with former Dallas offensive lineman Connor Williams during an 11-on-11 drill.
Interestingly enough, HC McCarthy said that joint practice fights were “a waste of everybody’s time” back then, too. Maybe the Cowboys will get the message this time. Or maybe it’s an example of the team tuning out the head coach as he heads into the final season of his five-year contract.
The good news is that the Cowboys-Rams joint practices are over, so we no longer have to worry about more fights. America’s Team can finally focus on opening the preseason with a victory after being unceremoniously dumped by the Green Bay Packers during February’s postseason.
Things are still promising for Dallas despite Thursday’s incident. The Cowboys are currently the 4.5-point road favorites over the Rams ahead of Sunday’s showdown, per FanDuel Sportsbook.
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