Joint practice fights have dominated headlines over the last couple of weeks. The worst instance came last week between the Cowboys and Saints, as multiple fights broke out, with players tossing helmets, throwing punches, and even suplexing opponents to the ground. Both organizations were subsequently issued hefty $500,000 fines by the NFL.
As all eyes turn to this week's joint practice schedule — the final set of joint practices this preseason — one matchup stands out immediately: the Green Bay Packers vs. the Arizona Cardinals. Or, in other words, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur against his younger brother, Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur. The joint practice kicks off Wednesday in Green Bay.
As both teams prepare, Matt LaFleur jokingly admitted he's not afraid to step in and handle business with his brother himself if things get out of hand. "If there's an issue, I'm going to tell the guys, 'Hey, you come tag me in. They can tag in my brother.
And we'll throw down on the 50,'" Matt LaFleur told reporters Monday. Mike LaFleur later responded to the comments: "We'll see what happens." More news: Browns Coach Reveals Shedeur Sanders’ Reaction to Losing Starting Job More news: Steelers HC Mike McCarthy Breaks Silence on Joey Porter Jr’s Contract Drama It's all in good fun, but the underlying point stands — with the NFL clearly looking to crack down on joint practice fighting, neither team wants to be the reason their organization gets hit with a six-figure fine. Matt's solution is simple: tag him in to settle things with his brother directly.
As Matt LaFleur enters his eighth season leading the Packers, Mike LaFleur enters his first season as head coach of the Cardinals. Arizona hired him in February after three seasons as the Rams' offensive coordinator. Before that, he served as offensive coordinator for the Jets and as passing game coordinator under Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco.
Both LaFleur brothers worked under Dan Quinn in Atlanta from 2015 to 2016 — Matt as quarterbacks coach, Mike as an offensive assistant. Now the two brothers are set to face off in a joint practice session Wednesday, ahead of their preseason finale on Friday. More news: 2026 NFL Award Predictions: MVP, OPOY, DPOY and Every Major Honor
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