The Miami Dolphins’ joint practice with the New York Giants got chippy on Thursday, and right tackle Austin Jackson ended up paying for it.
Jackson was ejected after throwing a punch at a Giants player, according to South Florida Sun Sentinel reporter David Furones. Miami Dolphins on SI reporter Alain Poupart also reported that Jackson was immediately kicked out of practice.
The Dolphins were hosting the Giants for a workout meant to give both teams a look against unfamiliar players and a different tempo. That kind of setting can bring out some friction, and Thursday had its share of it. There were multiple incidents during practice, but none of the other flare-ups escalated to the point of punches being thrown.
Jackson’s exit matters because it cost Miami one of its top right tackles valuable work as the offensive line continues getting ready for the regular season.
Head coach Jeff Hafley made it clear before a previous joint practice that he would not tolerate punches. “Should there be a punch?
No, if there’s a punch thrown, they’re out,” Hafley told the media prior to the team’s joint practice against the Washington Commanders last week. “And that’s what I told the team.
It’s exactly what I’ve told the team throughout camp. And we’ve been fortunate, there haven’t been a lot of fights.
We don’t have time for that.”
Hafley wants Miami to play with more physicality this year, but he also wants that edge under control. Jackson crossed that line Thursday, and Hafley backed up exactly what he had said.
Miami and New York will meet again on Saturday in the second week of the preseason schedule.
In Other News...
Dolphins Joint Practice Fights Could Lead To Bigger Fallout
Joint practices have a way of turning a controlled summer workout into something a lot closer to September football, and the Dolphins saw plenty of that with the Giants. Multiple skirmishes broke out during the session, enough to force Miami and New York to pull players from the action as tempers spiked and the day began to spiral.
Austin Jackson and Jermaine Eluemunor were among the players removed, along with Jameis Winston, after the chippiness crossed the line. The backdrop makes the situation worth watching for Miami, especially after the league already fined the Cowboys and Saints for fights at a joint practice, a reminder that what happens in these settings can carry real fallout once the league reviews it. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Joint Practice Turned Tense Around A Giants Rookie Lineman
The Dolphins joint practice with the Giants had the kind of edge you expect when two teams line up in the heat and humidity of South Florida, and it briefly turned tense when New York rookie right guard Francis Mauigoa came up with a stinger. The injury forced him to leave the field during the session, but the early read from the Giants was encouraging, with head coach John Harbaugh saying it was not serious.
Mauigoa later returned to the sideline and watched the rest of practice, which helped calm the immediate concern around one of New Yorks young linemen. Even so, the episode was a reminder of how quickly a padded workout can shift when the conditions are punishing and the competition gets real. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Joint Practice Turned Into A Fight Fans Will Debate
Joint practices are supposed to sharpen both teams before the real hitting starts, but the Dolphins and Giants ended up giving everyone a scene they will be talking about for a while. What began as a competitive day on the field escalated into a brawl with multiple players involved, turning a routine summer workout into something that looked far closer to game-day chaos.
Jameis Winston was right in the middle of it, throwing a punch and taking one in return, while Dolphins tackle Austin Jackson was ejected and Giants right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor was sidelined after a facemask penalty. Even with the fireworks, John Harbaugh said the players who threw punches were disciplined as if it were a game, and the Giants still considered the session productive overall, which leaves plenty for fans to debate about where the line should be in a practice setting. [Read more 🡒]