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Between a big fight and a big battle, it's safe to say that Monday's outing of Carolina Panthers training camp was a contentious one.
Here are the top takeaways and observations from the latest summer practice for the reigning NFC South champs . . .
Special teams coordinator Tracy Smith chatted with reporters before the team hit the practice field. He was asked about possible options at kick and punt returner outside of second-year running back Trevor Etienne.
Smith went on to list a handful of names including wide receivers Jimmy Horn Jr., John Metchie III, Ja'seem Reed and Xavier Legette and running backs Anthony Tyus III, Miles Davis and Jonathon Brooks. He noted that Brooks, who is returning from a second ACL tear, has shown "promise" in the role.
Etienne, however, seems likely to enter the regular season atop the depth chart here. He led the Panthers in both kick (31) and punt (20) returns as a rookie in 2025.
A "big" fight featuring center Luke Fortner and cornerback Mike Jackson broke out. According to multiple reports, the offense took exception to a hit on Brooks—and a bit of mayhem ensued.
Head coach Dave Canales revealed what he told his players after the skirmish.
"'Hey, these are the couple moments that I think led to the frustration. Here's how we can do better," he said to the team. "'I don't want you guys backing off. I love this. And offense—you don't get to complain about getting hit. It's football.'"
Canales also stated that the defense won the day.
Fourth-year linebacker Claudin Cherelus wore the green dot this morning, calling plays in the middle of the Carolina defense. Canales would later confirm that Cherelus is currently battling 2024 third-round pick Trevin Wallace for the starting spot alongside 2025 Pro Bowler and free-agent addition Devin Lloyd.
He explained his confidence in Cherelus, and then gave Wallace some props.
"Comfortability, command, standing in front of the huddle, making calls, communicating it to the back half, ya know, just talking," Canales said of Cherelus. "And just, his physical style of play continues to show up. Love that about Claude.
"Trevin's doing a great job as well. I can't talk about Claude without talking about Trevin. He looks great. Just continues to just be really comfortable in the defense and finding his shot, finding his ways to make plays."
Wallace, who seemed to be the favorite for the job entering the summer, surprisingly suited up for Thursday night's Hall of Fame Game. He recorded 19 defensive snaps.
Cherelus also played in the preseason opener, and also tallied 19 defensive snaps. And Cherelus, at least according to Pro Football Focus, was the better performer—earning a 74.9 overall grade to Wallace's 53.1.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers 2026 training camp tracker: Top takeaways and observations from Day 10
Continue reading...
Here are the top takeaways and observations from the latest summer practice for the reigning NFC South champs . . .
Return options
Special teams coordinator Tracy Smith chatted with reporters before the team hit the practice field. He was asked about possible options at kick and punt returner outside of second-year running back Trevor Etienne.
Smith went on to list a handful of names including wide receivers Jimmy Horn Jr., John Metchie III, Ja'seem Reed and Xavier Legette and running backs Anthony Tyus III, Miles Davis and Jonathon Brooks. He noted that Brooks, who is returning from a second ACL tear, has shown "promise" in the role.
Etienne, however, seems likely to enter the regular season atop the depth chart here. He led the Panthers in both kick (31) and punt (20) returns as a rookie in 2025.
*Ding ding*
A "big" fight featuring center Luke Fortner and cornerback Mike Jackson broke out. According to multiple reports, the offense took exception to a hit on Brooks—and a bit of mayhem ensued.
Head coach Dave Canales revealed what he told his players after the skirmish.
"'Hey, these are the couple moments that I think led to the frustration. Here's how we can do better," he said to the team. "'I don't want you guys backing off. I love this. And offense—you don't get to complain about getting hit. It's football.'"
Canales also stated that the defense won the day.
A battle in the middle
Fourth-year linebacker Claudin Cherelus wore the green dot this morning, calling plays in the middle of the Carolina defense. Canales would later confirm that Cherelus is currently battling 2024 third-round pick Trevin Wallace for the starting spot alongside 2025 Pro Bowler and free-agent addition Devin Lloyd.
He explained his confidence in Cherelus, and then gave Wallace some props.
"Comfortability, command, standing in front of the huddle, making calls, communicating it to the back half, ya know, just talking," Canales said of Cherelus. "And just, his physical style of play continues to show up. Love that about Claude.
"Trevin's doing a great job as well. I can't talk about Claude without talking about Trevin. He looks great. Just continues to just be really comfortable in the defense and finding his shot, finding his ways to make plays."
Wallace, who seemed to be the favorite for the job entering the summer, surprisingly suited up for Thursday night's Hall of Fame Game. He recorded 19 defensive snaps.
Cherelus also played in the preseason opener, and also tallied 19 defensive snaps. And Cherelus, at least according to Pro Football Focus, was the better performer—earning a 74.9 overall grade to Wallace's 53.1.
Top observations
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers 2026 training camp tracker: Top takeaways and observations from Day 10
Continue reading...
