Carolina Panthers finish 'chippy' minicamp with scuffle between linemen

Cam Newton vs. Josh Norman this is not.
Nov 10, 2024; Munich, Germany; Carolina Panthers place kicker Eddy Pineiro (4) celebrates with linebacker Thomas Incoom (48) and linebacker Jadeveon Clowney (7) after kicking a 36-yard field goal in overtime against the New York Giants during the 2024 NFL Munich Game at Allianz Arena.
Nov 10, 2024; Munich, Germany; Carolina Panthers place kicker Eddy Pineiro (4) celebrates with linebacker Thomas Incoom (48) and linebacker Jadeveon Clowney (7) after kicking a 36-yard field goal in overtime against the New York Giants during the 2024 NFL Munich Game at Allianz Arena. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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The Carolina Panthers just wrapped up their third and final minicamp practice of the 2025 offseason. A lot has changed for this team personnel-wise since the last time they took the field in a live game - especially on defense - where they'll be returning Derrick Brown, Jaycee Horn and not a whole lot else to the starting lineup.

Aside from the high turnover on defense one potentially key difference has seemingly emerged from live reports at practice - something that's been missing from this franchise for a long time, for better or worse. According to Mike Kaye at the Athletic, this year's minicamp was chippy in general - and near the end of today's practice a scuffle broke out between Thomas Incoom and Brandon Walton after Andy Dalton threw a touchdown pass to rookie running back Trevor Etienne.

Chippy is not the first, second or third word that has come to define this franchise since they started their seven-year long steak of losing seasons. In fact, we can't even recall the last time that any Panthers offseason practice could be described that way.

NFL teams that tend to fight a lot are either really terrible or really competitive, and generally they don't fall somewhere in-between. Perhaps this is a team, as Adam Thielen said earleir this week that's sick and tired of the reputation they have acquired and are serious about changing that perception.

If so, they're going to surprise a lot of people. Or maybe this was just a fluke for a meaningless non-contact practice and what passes for chippy now is very different than chippy during the season. We will start to find out in September.

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Tim Weaver
TIM WEAVER

Tim Weaver has been writing about the NFL since the 2013 season for multiple teams and outlets, including USA Today and The Sporting News. He currently covers the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers for On SI.