CHARLOTTE, N.C. — All the buildup was in place Monday for a training camp fight.
The start of the third week of camp. A hot, muggy August day. A second consecutive full-pads practice featuring live periods between the first-team offense and first-team defense.
So when Carolina Panthers safeties Lathan Ransom and Nick Scott came crashing toward the line of scrimmage for a shot at running back Jonathon Brooks, quarterback Bryce Young took offense and started jawing with cornerback Mike Jackson. Then it was on, with center Luke Fortner getting involved and offensive tackle Stone Forsythe and a defender ending up on the ground.
The fracas prompted a lot of post-practice discussion about the line between being the type of physical team that coach Dave Canales wants and players looking out for each other.
Panthers safety Nick Scott on camp physicality
Joseph Person
“We had a little bit of a scuffle out there and the response afterwards was more physicality. And that’s exactly what we should be. We’ve gotta tiptoe that line. When we’re in pads, we’ve gotta play football. That’s the bottom line,” Canales said. “But there’s some situations where we can be smarter and take care of each other. I think that’s what the frustration was ultimately about. But I’m all for it.”
Young presumably was being protective of Brooks because the former Texas back is coming off a second ACL surgery that sidelined him for the 2025 season. Scott said he spoke with Brooks after the skirmish.
“Jonathon’s out here. He’s with pads on. He’s been doing a great job running downhill, running behind his pads. Spoke with him after that,” Scott said. “Any time there is spillover like that after a play, especially if I’m involved, I always try to go check in and say, ‘Hey man, where you at with that? You feel like that was cheap?’ His answer is like, ‘Nah, man. It’s football. I’ve gotta put my pads down. That’s just the nature of it.’”
About 20 minutes after practice, Scott, Jackson and Young had a lengthy conversation about the day’s events.
“We were just kind of talking that through. Obviously at this point in camp, there’s just a level of physicality that just naturally happens,” Scott said. “Part of that is we haven’t seen a different color in a long time. The pads have been on. It’s hot. That’s part of the game. You want it. But at the same time there’s an aspect of protecting the team and guys that you’re gonna need on Sunday.”
Scott also explained to Young how he determines when he’s going to “take a shot on somebody” during live drills versus pulling up and tagging off on him, a la two-hand touch rules.
“Void of like a defenseless receiver, if I feel like I have an opportunity to really lay into somebody and I would do it in a game, I’m gonna do it here in practice, with the exception of wrapping up and bringing ‘em down,” Scott said.
Scott said if his angle on a ball carrier will result in a leverage tackle or a “wrap and roll,” he refrains. “But any time we get square to square and face to face, that’s gotta be a thud,” Scott added. “And everybody understands that.”
Scott’s standard for whether to lower his shoulder into an offensive player is consistent with Canales’ standard.
“I talked to the defensive guys, like, ‘Don’t back off on that. Let’s just see where our wideouts, receivers, where they’re at in those situations. If they can’t see you, thud ‘em up and hold ‘em up. If they can see you, I want it to be like football other than we’re not going to the legs,’” Canales said. “So some teachable moments on both sides, really.”
The Panthers sustained a pair of season-ending injuries during the first week of camp when outside linebacker Nic Scourton and wide receiver Chris Brazzell both went down with torn knee ligaments. The NFLPA reviewed video of the play in which Scourton was hurt and determined the Panthers had followed the rules prohibiting live contact during the acclimation period at the start of camp.
Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero stressed the importance of players being good teammates while still getting in the necessary work before the season opener against the Chicago Bears.
“We want to strive to practice the way we’re gonna play. And we know that we’ve gotta protect our team. We don’t want to take any side shots. We don’t want to hit in the back. We don’t want to take guys to the ground,” Evero said. “But at the same time we’ve gotta get ready to play football and to play real football. So we’ve gotta be physical. We’ve gotta use our hands. We’ve gotta put our face on people at times. And I know that makes the offense better as well.”
The Panthers might not have a more physical player than safety Tre’von Moehrig. But even Moehrig understands why Young and the offensive players sometimes object to practice hits.
“I get it from their standpoint. They don’t want to see the guys on the offensive side in piles like that,” Moehrig said. “But at the same time, defense gotta get our work at some point. We’ve gotta practice thudding up. It’s getting closer to Week 1 and we’re gonna have to start doing that, and be careful at the same time, make sure we’re not doing any cheap shots.”
After several physicality-related questions, Scott said the Panthers don’t have a problem with their practice intensity.
“I feel like it’s starting to turn into something bigger than it is. It’s not like the sitcom of the Panthers, like we’re hitting too hard. We’re having fun. Camp is going really well and we’re a physical, physical team. And that’s what we love about this team,” he said.
“I feel like day in and day out we bring it, and that’s what you want. You’d rather have guys talking about, ‘Hey, was that too much?’ rather than, ‘We’ve gotta turn it up a notch.’ This is the least of our worries.”
“If practice was all kumbaya all day, I’d be a little worried,” Scott added. “But it’s not.”
