Dallas Cowboys, coach Mike McCarthy penalized by NFL again for physical OTA practices
The Dallas Cowboys and coach Mike McCarthy violated NFL practice rules and were penalized by the league, owner owner Jerry Jones told reporters on Thursday.
The Cowboys will lose an organized team activity day in 2023 and McCarthy will pay a $100,000 fine.
OTAs with live contact are barred by the collective bargaining agreement.
It’s the second consecutive year that McCarthy and the Cowboys were flagged for being too physical in OTA practices.
The Cowboys were one of three teams found in violation last year, with the team paying a $100,000 fine and McCarthy a $50,000 fine.
They also lost an OTA day for this offseason as a result.
McCarthy cut their three-day minicamp to one day this week but it had nothing to do with the NFL discipline.
The Cowboys practiced on Tuesday. They held a team-building event at Topgolf on Wednesday. The veterans were excused from work Thursday while the rookies met with coaches and had their final weight-lifting session.
“I think the biggest thing is you have a starting line and finish line and I just felt like we crossed the finish line, particularly with the veterans,” McCarthy said when asked why he cut the minicamp short. “Everything we wanted to accomplish in the offseason was completed, and really the focus turns to their individual five-week plan.”
The Cowboys don’t meet again until they report to training camp in Oxnard, California, in late July.
This story was originally published June 17, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
