NFL warns teams about pre-game fights

Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images

After Week 6 saw multiple pre-game fights, the league is putting teams on notice

Week 6 of the 2023 NFL season saw some teams so anxious to get their games underway, that the hitting started before the opening kickoff. Last Sunday, the Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco 49ers “exchanged pleasantries” before the game, and then on Monday night, the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers got into a pre-game scuffle.

Now, the league is putting all 32 teams on notice.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the NFL sent a memo to all 32 teams regarding these instances. In the memo, the league stressed that sportsmanship and respect are at the core of the NFL, and that fighting is “irreconcilable” with those ideals.

The league also outlined three key points of emphasis:

Teams must warm up within their own 45-yard line
Players can be disqualified for actions that happen pregame
Video evidence can and will be used to determine if penalties are appropriate

Now we’ll see if the teams truly got the message.