- May 21, 2026
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Season-ending injuries are one of the constant risks of training camp, and Panthers linebacker Nic Scourton experienced one on the first day of 2026 practice.
Scourton suffered an ACL tear on a field that reporters have characterized as wet. Given that the first five days of camp are supposed to be an "acclimation period," the outcome merits closer scrutiny.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the NFL Players Association will review video of the practice to understand the circumstances. If it was a non-contact fluke, that's one thing. If the Panthers were straying beyond the limits of the acclimation period, it's another.
Article 23 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement contains general rules regarding the five-day, on-field acclimation period. Article 23, Section 7(a) provides that "[t]he first day of a Club’s preseason training camp shall be limited to physical examinations, meetings, and classroom instruction; no on-field activities shall be permitted other than running and conditioning.” The on-field work is “limited to Phase One-type conditioning, timing and testing, except that all coaches are permitted on the field.”
On days two through five, no live contact is permitted, with only helmets and protective shirts permitted during one of the two practices each day.
The video of the practice will reveal plenty as to how the injury happened, and whether the specific conditions complied with the limits of the acclimation period.
Scourton suffered an ACL tear on a field that reporters have characterized as wet. Given that the first five days of camp are supposed to be an "acclimation period," the outcome merits closer scrutiny.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the NFL Players Association will review video of the practice to understand the circumstances. If it was a non-contact fluke, that's one thing. If the Panthers were straying beyond the limits of the acclimation period, it's another.
Article 23 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement contains general rules regarding the five-day, on-field acclimation period. Article 23, Section 7(a) provides that "[t]he first day of a Club’s preseason training camp shall be limited to physical examinations, meetings, and classroom instruction; no on-field activities shall be permitted other than running and conditioning.” The on-field work is “limited to Phase One-type conditioning, timing and testing, except that all coaches are permitted on the field.”
On days two through five, no live contact is permitted, with only helmets and protective shirts permitted during one of the two practices each day.
The video of the practice will reveal plenty as to how the injury happened, and whether the specific conditions complied with the limits of the acclimation period.