This week’s joint practices between the Panthers and Patriots have gotten pretty feisty, with the teams fighting on Tuesday and again Wednesday.
Wednesday’s scrum reportedly began after Carolina star running back Christian McCaffrey was tackled near the sideline, leading him to throw the ball at a Patriots defender. A shoving match ensued, and players on both teams were ejected from practice after the incident.
The Panthers are understandably defensive of their do-it-all back, who has dealt with injury issues throughout his career. They’re not alone, either. After Wednesday’s fight, another local professional sports team—the NHL’s Hurricanes—offered to lend the Panthers an enforcer to help keep McCaffrey out of harm’s way.