The NFL Players Association has launched an investigation into the Carolina Panthers following a season-ending ACL tear suffered by linebacker Nic Scourton on the first day of training camp. The union is examining the events that led to the injury, which occurred during an acclimatization period intended to ease players back into practice.
Training camps typically begin with a mandatory five-day acclimatization period where live contact is prohibited. During this phase, players are generally limited to running and conditioning exercises. Scourton's injury took place within this initial period.
A spokesperson for the Panthers confirmed the team is cooperating with the NFLPA's inquiry. "We have the rules, we have the standards, we let them know. All we can really do is lay the groundwork out, show the guys good examples of what it looks like and go from there," Panthers head coach Dave Canales said, according to Panthers Wire.
To further understand the situation, the NFLPA plans to review video footage of the practice session where the injury occurred, as reported by Pro Football Talk.
Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble described the incident as a "freak accident." He expressed sympathy for Scourton, stating, "I feel so bad for the kid because he worked his butt off this offseason and I think this was gonna be his best year yet." Tremble added, "I don’t think it was anything on anyone’s tempo, everyone’s just trying to get better every day. It was just an unfortunate thing to happen at practice… It kind of sucked the life out of us when we saw it happen."
Scourton, who is entering his second NFL season, recorded 47 tackles and five sacks for the Panthers in 2025.