Dolphins, Panthers coaches will enforce no-fighting edict in practices
This week’s joint practices between the Dolphins and Carolina Panthers will test the NFL’s “no-fighting” edict.
In the wake of New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith’s broken jaw and the melee during a Texans-Redskins practice, the league has in recent days reminded teams that fighting is prohibited.
Expect Dolphins coach Joe Philbin and Panthers coach Ron Rivera to enforce the rule Wednesday and Thursday. The practices, which will be held at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, will not have any live tackling. But Philbin acknowledged Sunday that “some heated moments” are inevitable.
“But Ron and I talked in the spring, he’ll be on one field, I’ll be on the other,” Philbin said. “I told him, he sees one of our guys out of line, I’m going to tell the team Coach Rivera is in charge of that field, and he said the same thing to me, if I see someone out of line on the field I’m on.”
When asked his view of practice fights (there have been at least two in Dolphins camp this summer), Philbin said:
“They’re all different, they all happen for different reasons,” Philbin said. “The thing you worry about as a coach is someone getting hurt, unnecessarily. There is enough risk involved going out there every day on the practice field, and to do that doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
This story was originally published August 16, 2015 at 10:51 PM with the headline "Dolphins, Panthers coaches will enforce no-fighting edict in practices."