Tuesday was a big day for the Dallas Cowboys, going from practicing against their own guys to hitting an actual opponent for the first time since early January. The team went on the road for a joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams, which had the potential to bring fireworks. In recent years, when the two teams have practiced together, tempers have flared and fights have ensued.
Thankfully there were no notable fisticuffs this time around, which is smart because the Cowboys had much to be gained in this workout. Going up against one of the Super Bowl favorites was a measuring stick for Brian Schottenheimer’s team on the rise, and here are four things that came out of the joint practice with the Rams.
No fun league
What’s the old saying, ‘if a tree falls in the forest and there’s no there to hear it…’ Yes, the teams lined up against one another, but per Rams policy, practice footage is not permitted, and fans weren’t in attendance.
That likely made Schottenheimer and new defensive coordinator Christian Parker very happy, but fans missed out on seeing most of the action. It’s not as fun to follow practices by reading about what happened instead of seeing it, but this is the NFL, where organizations are trying to keep any and all advantages.
However, the official Cowboys’ team site did post some videos on social media, follow @dallascowboys for visual highlights from the practice.
Rams’ offense vs Cowboys’ new look defense
The Rams had one of the best offenses in the league last year and brought back all the pieces that led the NFL in yards and points per game. Last season’s MVP, Matthew Stafford, who led the league in passing yards and touchdowns, was back throwing to one of the most dynamic wide receiver duos in the game. The tandem of Puka Nacua and Davante Adams combined for 24 scores in 2025, with Adams leading the league in receiving touchdowns, while Nacua was tops in receptions and second in receiving yards.
It was quite a challenge for the Cowboys’ revamped defense, especially the secondary, but after going up against their own star WR tandem for a few weeks, Parker’s unit got to see their progress against a team and an offensive coach in Sean McVay, that can scheme it up with the best play callers in the league. The results seemed positive, as second-year linebacker Justin Barron was able to lead the way for the pass defense.
The Cowboys also got to test out their new run defense against another top combination, the Rams’ backfield of Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. Dallas isn’t likely to see another running back duo this good until the two teams meet in the regular season.
Again, Parker’s defense seemed stout.
If the Rams were a big test for Parker and the Cowboys’ defense, they got a passing grade from the workout.
Cowboys’ offensive line vs Myles Garrett & company
The only question mark with the Cowboys’ offense is how the tackles on the offensive line hold up. There’s no tougher task than facing the NFL’s single-season sack leader in Garrett, who is surrounded with stout defensive line pieces.
Unfortunately, tackles Terence Steele, Tyler Guyton and the rest of the unit got a reprieve as Garrett didn’t practice. The Cowboys would’ve liked to see how they handled themselves in the workout and gotten an indication on if the OL will hold up for the Cowboys this season, but it didn’t happen.
However, reports are that Steele seemed to have a bit of a rough day against fourth-year pass rusher Byron Young.
Young is no slouch, he has 19.5 sacks over the last two seasons, and it appears as though Steele struggled to slow him down.
Where’s Aaron?
There have been strong indications that former Ram Aaron Donald will come out of retirement to rejoin the team. The perennial All-Pro and one of the best defensive players the league has ever seen would give the Rams’ defense a monster one-two punch with the newly acquired sack king Garrett. A return from Donald to the practice field would’ve been a massive test for the Cowboys’ offense.
Donald didn’t return on this day. With the Cowboys in town it could’ve been a perfect opportunity to garner some headlines, but the future Hall of Famer remains undecided.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: 4 takeaways from Cowboys-Rams joint practice, seeing is believing
Reporting by Ben Grimaldi, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ben Grimaldi, Cowboys Wire | USA TODAY Network
