Unsurprisingly, the first padded session of 2026 training camp brought out a little extra aggression from the Carolina Panthers.
Head coach Dave Canales, however, didn’t seem to be a fan of his team’s latest summer workout. He told reporters afterwards that the practice was not up to par, and explained why.
“The physical nature that we play with, the way that we’re just used to practicing—it just didn’t start that way,” Canales stated. “That was really the first period, and we had three team periods. Right in the middle of that period, I went right over to the defense and said, ‘Hey, you guys drive this thing. We gotta show up, and everybody’s gotta get to the ball.’
“And so, they took to the challenge and responded well . . . but I want them to drive it. And they know what to expect. They know what to expect from each other. So I want them to make sure they take ownership of that part and we’ll remind them as coaches. But we gotta have it—that’s the way this game is played.”
Tuesday’s outing featured a skirmish involving tight end Feleipe Franks. According to Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer, fists began flying during seven-on-seven drills—with the brouhaha seeing Franks’ helmet taking flight, courtesy of cornerback Mike Jackson.
Canales was asked what he liked, or didn’t like, about the fight.
“We always gotta push things to the limit,” he replied. “This game is played with a lot of passion and a lot of aggression, by nature. And we’re gonna be on edge. That’s gonna happen in games. We can’t cross the line, it just hurts the team. Personal fouls set you back, and 15 yards is huge.
“Day 1—guys are fired up, words are said, that stuff happens. We just gotta make sure—you go to the line, you can’t cross it. We had good conversations about it and I don’t think that’ll happen again.”
If it isn’t to happen again, Panthers players must toe that line for at least another few weeks.
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