A joint NFL practice resulted in a predictable push and shove as tempers flared between players from the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers ahead of their exhibition game on Saturday in Charlotte.
Footage of the incident has since surfaced on the social media account of a podcast about the Panthers, X’s @FPFO_Podcast.
The 27-second clip shows Carolina wideout Terrace Marshall scoring a touchdown against New York cornerback DJ Reed, who was penalized for pass interference on the play.
It wasn’t the initial contact that ignited the scuffle, but Marshall’s decision to throw the ball to Reed, who had been dropped by the adult.
Jets safety Chuck Clark was displeased with Marshall and responded by running at Marshall, resulting in a brief scuffle.
Footage has now surfaced on the social media account of a Panthers-focused podcast
The 27-second clip shows Carolina wideout Terrace Marshall catching a touchdown over New York cornerback DJ Reed, who was flagged for pass interference on the play
But as the players were separated, Reed picked up the ball and threw it to Marshall, who was stopped by the Panthers staff.
And it didn’t stop there.
Jets defensive end Michael Clemons got into a push and shove with several Panthers offensive linemen later in the practice session.
Joint practices are usually a good chance for NFL teams to get some experience against unfamiliar opponents after weeks of scrimmaging against themselves. Unfortunately, they often come with the risk of a fight, which the NFL is trying to address.
A brawl between the Detroit Lions and New York Giants during a previous joint game earlier this month resulted in both teams being fined $200,000.
One way to address this problem is to limit joint training to one day.
“Every time I’ve had a joint practice, the first day was a little tough and the second day ended in a battle,” Packers running back Josh Jacobs told The Washington Post.
I think there’s probably less fighting [when there’s one day]”, which is good,” Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “You know, the second day is when everybody kind of gets fired up and gets going.”