The Carolina Panthers’ practice on Monday turned heated fast, with a “big” fight breaking out during training camp.
Per Joe Person of The Athletic, the scuffle involved center Luke Fortner and cornerback Mike Jackson, and it reportedly started after the offense took exception to a hit on running back Jonathon Brooks.
Fortner was the lineman at the center of it all, and head coach Dave Canales praised the way he handled the moment afterward.
"He's a veteran," Canales stated. "And I'm sensing, getting to know Luke-he's got a real justice streak about him and he just wants things to be the right way.
"Watching that emerge is a cool thing-loyalty to his teammates and all that. Love the fact that he wants to make sure he's in there and guys aren't just standing there getting in any type of verbal or physical altercations."
Fortner is in his first summer with Carolina after signing a one-year deal worth up to $4.75 million this spring. The Panthers brought him in after losing previous starting center Cade Mays, who left for Detroit on a three-year, $25 million contract.
Canales said he addressed the team after the dustup and tried to turn the moment into a teaching point.
"'Hey, these are the couple moments that I think led to the frustration. Here's how we can do better," he said to his players.
"'I don't want you guys backing off. I love this.
And offense-you don't get to complain about getting hit. It's football.'"
And the day wasn’t done there. By the end of practice, Jackson and the defense appeared to land the final blow on quarterback Bryce Young and the offense.
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Bryce Young Got Caught Up In Panthers Camp Tension
Training camp ramped up the way it often does in August, with the Carolina Panthers putting on full pads and the temperature of practice climbing along with the intensity. During the Aug. 10 session, quarterback Bryce Young ended up in the middle of a physical confrontation after a play in which safety Lathan Ransom went in on running back Jonathon Brooks, turning a routine camp snap into a brief skirmish that drew in cornerback Mike Jackson and an offensive lineman.
For the Panthers, the scene fit the tenor of a practice Dave Canales described as physical and competitive, even if he declined to get into the specifics of what set it off. Nick Scott downplayed the incident as the kind of thing that happens when camp gets chippy, but it still offered another reminder of how tightly wound these reps can become when a team is trying to sort out its edge and its identity in front of a packed roster. [Read more 🡒]
Former Panthers Center Cade Mays Hit With Another Tough Setback
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The question now is less about whether King can handle a standard quarterback job and more about how Carolina might use him if he keeps progressing. ESPNs Adam Schefter suggested King has a real path to the 53-man roster, with the possibility of a more varied role once the regular season begins. For a team still shaping the back end of its roster, that kind of flexibility can be valuable, and it leaves King with more than just recovery on his plate when he gets back on the field. [Read more 🡒]