This week was a hectic one for the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots, as the teams came to blows multiple times.
New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers Brawl via Conch Sports YouTube
Leading up to their pre-season matchup, the Patriots and Panthers held multiple joint practices throughout the week. The first scuffle broke out on Tuesday after Patriots receiver Kristian Wilkerson caught a ball on the sideline by the Panthers bench. He exchanged words and then fists with a couple of Panthers defensive backs.
The scuffle quickly escalated as Patriots receiver Kendrick Bourne also threw punches. Wilkerson, Bourne and Panthers safety Kenny Robinson were all kicked out of practice after the fight.
Later in the same game, Patriots center James Ferentz and Panthers defensive tackle Phil Hoskins scrapped and were ejected as well.
Unfortunately, the bad blood did not cool down. In Wednesday’s joint practice, a massive brawl broke out between the teams.
Patriots defensive lineman Deatrich Wise put a big hit on Panthers star running back Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey immediately threw the ball at Wise, and chaos ensued.
@ZoandBertrand @scottzolak the play leading to the fight pic.twitter.com/Dv2KnoIWyo
— Mikey Mcdermott (@MikeyInTheTruck) August 17, 2022
The brawl broke out right near the fans, and some players were pushed into the stands.
Another fight breaks out during @Patriots and @Panthers joint practice. @MikeReiss #NFL pic.twitter.com/zeduIBO31T
— Janilson Lopes (@Ja_Lopes_7) August 17, 2022
RELATED: Denver Broncos And Dallas Cowboys Players Engage In Multiple Fights During Joint Practice
According to Patriots insider Tom Curran, a woman in the stands was injured when a player’s helmet hit her foot. Luckily, the woman was okay. She reportedly refused medical help and received tickets to a regular season game.
Tom E. Curran Twitter
Wise and Carolina running back Chuba Hubbard left the practice after the brawl, likely not by choice.
The mid-week drama led to high anticipation for the Friday night matchup between the two teams. Thankfully (or disappointingly, depending on your perspective), no brawls broke out during the game.
Save for a few late hit personal fouls, the game was quite clean. The Patriots won by a final score of 20-10.