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Jordan Raanan, ESPN Staff Writer
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants and Detroit Lions were each fined $200,000 for multiple fights at joint practices this week, the NFL confirmed Wednesday.
All NFL teams were reminded in a memo last month that “fighting and unprofessional conduct at joint practices would not be tolerated.” The league is putting an increased emphasis on keeping these get-togethers clean this year.
It didn’t seem to deter the Giants or Lions. There were more than a dozen scuffles over the two days of joint practices between the teams this week. Giants quarterback Daniel Jones got in the middle of one skirmish Monday and the two teams cut practice short Tuesday because of constant incidents, including one during a kickoff return drill late in practice.
Giants coach Brian Daboll and Lions coach Dan Campbell elected to ditch the final period of Tuesday’s practice after repeated problems.
“It was a heated practice,” Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers said after throwing haymakers with Lions safety Kerby Joseph during the second of the two workouts. “Words are being said and stuff like that is going to happen.”
The Giants and Lions face off Thursday night in their preseason opener at MetLife Stadium.
There was pushing and shoving on multiple occasions during both days of joint practices. But there were also players throwing punches at opposing players wearing helmets during each session.
That is not what either coach or team wanted.
“We’re going to try to clean up some of the things that led to some of that, but we’re going to play hard and play physical and have another good practice,” Daboll said after the first day.
“[Daboll] and I talked, just a couple things there,” Campbell added. “We got a couple guys who go rogue and do some things and start something. But, honestly, not a big deal. A lot of it was guys breaking stuff up.”
The Giants and Lions walked off the field without incident on both days. No players appeared to be seriously injured from the melees.