Massive brawl in Panthers-Patriots joint practice leads to 3 players being ejected
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Tension was high almost immediately when the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots players began to practice on Tuesday. Panthers defensive players practiced with a chip on their shoulder and didn’t shy away from contact with the Patriots’ wide receivers.
Before you knew it, mayhem ensued.
The first day of Patriots-Panthers joint practices featured two fights, including one giant brawl that ended with three players being ejected. Five players in total, including three Patriots, were tossed from Tuesday’s practice.
Here’s how things reached a boiling point between the two sides:
Tensions run high between Patriots, Panthers
Problems started during full-team drills. In the second period, Kristian Wilkerson caught a pass from Mac Jones. When the whistle blew, however, a couple of defensive backs refused to let go of Wilkerson’s jersey, and the receiver was seen talking to both Panthers players.
In the next period, Wilkerson caught a pass from Jones near the left sideline. As he went out of bounds, a defensive player held on to his jersey. Wilkerson was clearly talking to the player, and that’s when he was shoved by an unidentified Panthers assistant coach. As the receiver turned, he was grabbed by multiple Panthers players and later punched.