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The New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers must have heard a bell go off for Round 2 on Wednesday afternoon as players were at each other’s throats again during their joint practice — and this time there were injuries.
The long day of skirmishes began during a kickoff return drill when Carolina safety Kenny Robinson put a big hit on Patriots wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson. Robinson then stood over Wilkerson and taunted him. Wilkerson’s teammate Matt Slater was among those who took issue with the play, and it led to some pushing and shoving.
Wilkerson was taken off the field on a cart and was being evaluated “off site” because of his injuries. Robinson, who was previously ejected from Tuesday’s practice for his involvement in a skirmish with Wilkerson, was walked off the field by an assistant and the joint session between the two franchises who met during Super Bowl XXXVIII resumed.
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Kristian Wilkerson of the New England Patriots during training camp at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on July 29, 2021.
(Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
The scrapping was far from over.
During 11-on-11 drills, Panthers star running back Christian McCaffrey was hit hard near the sideline. He appeared to take exception to the hit and when he got back on his feet, he tossed the ball toward a Patriots defender. That led to another scrum that spilled over to the fan area. At least one female fan was struck, according to The Associated Press.
NFL referees told Panthers coach Matt Rhule that running back Chuba Hubbard threw a punch and was ejected. Patriots defensive lineman Deatrich Wise Jr. was also ejected on the play.
Slater and others talked about the ordeal after the session was over.
PATRIOTS, PANTHERS GET HEATED AT JOINT PRACTICE WITH MULTIPLE PLAYERS EJECTED FOR FIGHTING
“That’s cause for concern,” Slater said of the incident he was involved in with Robinson and Wilkerson. “We’re not going to sit here and celebrate those type of plays. That’s not how we’re going to do it. … Look, I ain’t fighting. I got four kids, my wife’s out here. What do I look like? I’m 36 years old. I’m not throwing a punch.
Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey carries the football during a drill at the team’s Fan Fest in Charlotte, N.C., on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022.
(AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
“But when you have a teammate who is hit, he’s down. There’s clearly symptoms of what has happened to him. We all know what they look like as football players. He’s demonstrating those symptoms, and then you have players celebrating those acts. I take an issue with that.”
McCaffrey acknowledged how heated it can get on the field.
“It gets a little chippy out here sometimes. That’s the way it goes,” he said. “It is what it is. A little scrum. It happens. Football’s football. You go to these joint practices — it’s part of the game.”
Rhule said the incidents marred what he thought was a solid practice. He added that he hoped the woman who was struck was OK.
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The two teams are set to meet in a preseason game on Friday night.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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