Austin Jackson and Jermaine Eluemunor removed from Dolphins-Giants joint practice after fights

A Dolphins-Giants joint practice on Thursday turned contentious enough that it was repeatedly stopped because of multiple skirmishes, according to reporters covering the session. Two offensive linemen involved, Dolphins right tackle Austin Jackson and Giants right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, were removed from practice, the report said.

Jackson’s and Eluemunor’s exits came as the teams tried to work through a controlled preseason environment in front of scouts, coaches, and beat reporters. Instead, the session deteriorated into altercations that prompted staff to break things up more than once, disrupting reps and the flow of the day.

The report also said the fights included Giants backup quarterback Jameis Winston, further underscoring how quickly a routine training day can spill over when players feel challenged at the line. Even in August, when teams are still evaluating young talent and installing schemes, skirmishes like these carry immediate consequences for both personnel and preparation.

Beyond the immediate practice impact, the NFL reportedly fined teams connected to the incident. Yahoo Sports reported that the Cowboys and Saints were fined following fights involving players from the two teams during the week’s joint work, and that two other clubs could also face league discipline. The league’s approach here indicates that the preseason is not a free pass for behavior during joint sessions.

For the Dolphins, losing Jackson’s reps can matter because right tackle is an important position in both pass protection and the run game, especially during a period when offensive line continuity is still being established. For the Giants, Eluemunor’s absence can similarly limit evaluation time, particularly against the kind of physical fronts that show up most clearly in padded team drills.

A joint practice is designed to create a game-like setting without the stakes of a contest. When multiple stoppages and player involvement occur, coaches often respond by tightening rules around who engages whom, and by restricting practice involvement for players deemed most responsible. The short-term penalty is lost work, while the long-term effect can be the way teams manage intensity in future sessions.

What to watch next is whether the league’s discipline widens beyond the teams already reported as fined and whether either team changes its approach to intensity and matchups in remaining preseason work. Also relevant is how quickly practice participation returns for Jackson and Eluemunor, since August reps are often the difference-maker for line timing, communication, and role clarity going into the regular season.

In a preseason setting, a single incident can become a recurring storyline because it affects trust and rotation decisions, even if the underlying football issues remain the same. If the NFL’s discipline is expanded, teams may also be more cautious about how aggressively players pursue contact during joint drills.