In his very first training camp with the Dallas Cowboys last year, it didn’t take long for head coach Brian Schottenheimer to realize that physical altercations would not be news. So, when three fights broke out on a single day, he had to set the tone right: he stopped the drills and made the players and some coaching staff members run. Hilariously, that practice started with a mysterious personality joining the team dressed as a boxer. Little did Schottenheimer know that just might be the suitable dress code for his players.

Just one padded practice ago on Tuesday, Schottenheimer ejected star defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku after he punched his teammate. On Thursday, another fight erupted, but interestingly, the players in question knew better. 

During the team’s sixth practice, rookie wide receiver Anthony Smith and cornerback Caelen Carson started a scuffle on the field. Their teammates quickly moved in to separate them, but not before there was plenty of pushing and helmet pulling between the two players, according to a clip posted by sports reporter Sam Gannon of KDFW Fox 4 on X.

Smith and Carson were part of opposite teams on Thursday, and seemingly, their on-field matchup became too heated. Luckily for Smith and Carson, they escaped ejection since no punches were thrown, a big no in the NFL.

While Schottenheimer encourages high-intensity competition, he won’t tolerate reckless decisions that could translate into costly injuries before the season even begins, especially when the head coach had already dealt with a similar situation before.

Last season, multiple players went down after tough physicality and some fights in their Oxnard, California, training facility. Then, offensive guard Robert Jones broke a bone in his neck, tackle Tyler Guyton was mending a bone fracture, and Carson hyperextended his knee.

Granted, a lack of fights would raise more eyebrows than their presence, but considering what Carson has to lose, he shouldn’t get distracted by meaningless fights.

Caelen Carson enters 2026 as an afterthought, but don’t count him out yet

When the Cowboys selected Carson in the fifth round two years ago, many considered him a steal. However, his luck has not been, well, very lucky. He got his opportunity early as he was named starter for the first three weeks in 2024 after the injury bug got to the team’s defense. However, he looked very much like the rookie who doesn’t belong on the field. A shoulder injury only ended his rookie campaign further.

In 2025, he suffered a hyperextended knee during training camp and was forced to miss the first six weeks of action. He could only find smaller roles after his return. While he got some significant reps here and there, he couldn’t make the most of his time in former DC Matt Eberflus’ defense.

This year, while he is still expected to be a backup CB, he can still be counted on.

He is a versatile player who is a good tackler and solid in coverage. To make things better, he got off on the right foot with his third DC in as many NFL years. With DaRon Bland out, he has taken first-team reps at times and might have some chance to make the final roster come September.

In his two seasons with the team, he has started eight of 14 games played with 44 combined tackles and six passes defended. So, he does need to put in the work.

Six practices into training camp, Bland, Revel, Cobie Durant, and rookie Devin Moore are projected starters for the team. But Carson could add depth to the position. Meanwhile, Schottenheimer’s patience is being tested this year as training camp continues.

Cowboys’ training camp continues to be the battling field for some players

At training camps, everyone is busy proving themselves. But at times, that passion turns into costly mistakes, as it did with Ezeiruaku earlier in the week.

The defensive end was removed from Tuesday’s practice after throwing a punch at right tackle Terence Steele. Ezeiruaku had also been involved in a verbal back-and-forth with left tackle Tyler Guyton during a previous practice.

“He’s an incredible play style guy. He plays the game the right way, but at the same time we have to have a plan,” Schottenheimer told reporters on August 7. “He gets hot and when he feels his temperature rising, what is the plan?

“He and I discussed a couple different options. I think we’ve got a good thing in place, but again, I don’t [want to] take it away, the edge that he plays on, but when you throw a punch, you’ve gone over the edge. [The referees] would’ve thrown him out the game, and that hurts the team.”

Schottenheimer has had to handle the heated training camp fights not for the first time. Last season, the Cowboys safety Marquese Bell and tight end Tyler Neville engaged in a heated fight. There were a few others as well, but Schotty’s response this year is similar to what he said last year.

Ezeiruaku could be in line for a breakout season with the Cowboys in his second year in Dallas. Although he recorded only two sacks as a rookie, his other numbers showed that he was capable of disrupting plays. Now, he just needs to stay on the field and practice DC Christian Parker’s playbook left and right.

Ezeiruaku finished the 2025 season with 28 quarterback pressures, which ranked fourth among rookie edge defenders. He also recorded 29 run stops (third in that category) and 40 tackles (fourth).

However, the defensive end knows that sacks remain one of the most noticeable statistics for a pass rusher. His ability to turn pressures into sacks will be an important part of his development this season.