CHARLOTTE — Dave Canales challenged his players Tuesday morning, to respond to the final padded practice of training camp.

They did that, but a few of them may have crossed the line.

"May have pushed the guys a little bit too hard in the team meeting this morning," Canales said, perhaps sheepishly.

A decent training camp fight broke out near the end of practice, when it appeared that safety Nick Scott stepped over wide receiver Jalen Coker , who was on the ground, and some of Coker's offensive teammates objected. Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu and cornerback Jaycee Horn were jawing at each other, and Horn took a swing, the intensity getting a little out of hand.

"I'm going to talk to the guys this afternoon, it's like, OK, now you throw a punch, you're gone, so then all of a sudden, where are we at?" Canales said. "Where's the rest of the team when that happens? So, good teachable moment right there, but a fantastic day at work."

Horn just got back on the practice field Monday after having stitches removed from his left hand (he swung with the right), but Canales said the idea of risking injury wasn't his primary concern.

"Sure, but I mean, honestly, it's just don't punch your teammates or punch other teammates," he said. "Let's make sure that we play with the 46 guys we brought to the game, and that's got to be the focus. . . .

"This is like the dog days of camp, and this is the one last shots in pads, and they took it, they crescendoed to a place that I want our football to be, and we have to be comfortable operating there."

Several players continued the conversations after practice, but Canales said running back Chuba Hubbard told players, "At the end of the day, we're all family, it's going to get heated like this sometimes, but we've got to move forward together."

Canales loved the physical style of practice, he just wants more control.

"And they just kind of were in a competitive moment, the tempers flared," he said. "We try to push the guys to the edge. We went a little bit over. But at the same time, that's the edginess we have to play with when we have these opportunities, we have to be able to play a physical style of football and, you know, sometimes it goes a little too far."

The bosses are back in charge for preseason finale

Canales said that he and defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero would be back on the headsets for Thursday's game against the Steelers, even though starters aren't playing.

"I mean it may seem weird to people," Canales said. "You're not playing the starters, but you're calling it, but again it's for he and I to just continue to find the sequence of winning a game, of striving, of making adjustments and utilizing the new information that the guys have.

They've spread the play-calling responsibilities around in the preseason, with offensive coordinator Brad Idzik calling plays on his side, and defensive passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley and linebackers coach Pete Hansen calling a game each on the defensive side.

Canales believes those are valuable reps for the purposes of developing coaches, but also refining their in-game routines. He's been in what he referred to as "the wing man" role in past jobs, and said those reps were significant for his progress.

"I know how valuable it is as you're searching for plays, and somebody in your ear just says 'Second-and-6, they're playing man,'" Canales said. "Boom, you got the right call, and for me, just the added value for Brad to feel what that feels like, to know here's when that information is appropriate, here's how to sequence these. These are the things running through his mind as he's developing this game, as the game's kind of coming to us.

"And on the flip side of it for Ejiro, we have with our staff, we don't have just a bunch of guys that have called plays before. We do have some of those guys, but to develop more guys to have those eyes to for Cooley and for Pete Hansen to feel what that feels like, so that when Ejiro's asking for information in between drives, it just comes out of a different set of eyes when you get to experience it."

Tre'von Moehrig playing loud on defense

Moehrig likes to let his hits do the talking.

He isn't a flashy player; he keeps his celebrating to a minimum and lets his more vivacious teammates handle the loud moments. That's exactly what Dave Canales wants to see, each guy—like Moehrig, the free agent safety signed this spring from the Raiders—wholly comfortable in their scheme and who they are, letting both play out naturally on the field.

And when it comes to Moehrig, that means speaking softly and playing loudly.

"I want guys' personalities to show up, and the more that they know what to do and have confidence in who we are and what we're doing, the more their personalities will show up," explained Canales. "We have some guys that are louder than others. I really don't want everybody just trying to take on that personality if that's not you.

"Tre'von Moehrig hasn't said anything, but I hear him every play because he's smacking somebody. It's a receiver trying to block him. It's a running back in the hole. It's like, that's just the way he does it."

And the veteran DB was loud again on Tuesday, in what was the Panthers' final practice of training camp. On one run play in particular, Rico Dowdle took the hand off, went up the middle into what seemed like open space, before Moehrig flew in and popped him loud enough to reverberate off the padded fence.

Since players can't fully wrap tackle in practice, Dowdle was able to catch himself and keep going, but the play was blown dead, since it would've been a full tackle in a game, an example, once again, of why the Panthers pursued Moehrig in free agency, following his 2024 season with 104 tackles.

It wasn't the last time Moehrig would make a play on the day.

On a Bryce Young play across the middle, looking for Coker, corner Mike Jackson popped the ball for a break-up. Following the first rule of turnovers—look for tips and overthrows—Moehrig circled around and caught the ball on the tip for an interception, then silently jogged towards the sideline, while his teammates screamed in celebration.

Injury updates on Tommy Tremble and Damien Lewis

Veteran tight end Tommy Tremble isn't going to play this week or anything, but Canales said there's still a chance he's ready for the start of the regular season after undergoing back surgery in May.

Tremble would need to be activated from the physically unable to perform list to practice, but the work he's doing on the side suggests that time might not be far off.

"Tommy is doing great, he's running full speed, he's looking towards just trying to get some more physical contact and get that adaptation part, before we can fully clear him," Canales said. "He's had no setbacks, and so we're excited to get Tommy back on the field doing something real soon."

The conditioning is one element, but Canales wants to get Tremble — who has never shied away from contact — some more work leaning on other people before the start of the season.

Left guard Damien Lewis, who hasn't practiced since the joint workout with the Browns because of a shoulder issue, didn't get the same kind of ringing endorsement, as there was a little hesitation when asked.

"Damien's getting stronger every day; he's getting his stability and strength back," Canales said. "I was told he could play this week if we had to; we're not going to do that because he's still getting stronger. We want to just capitalize on that part as we go into the season, but I wouldn't say that he's 100 percent playing for Week 1. This is a progression just like anything else, so we'll have to go just week to week still."

Canales said that even though veteran quarterback Andy practiced without any noticeable limitations Tuesday, he's not going to play Thursday.

Canales loves Bryce Perkins' perspective

On a day of messages sent and received, Canales said he loved being able to talk to new quarterback Perkins during warmups.

Perkins, who spent three years with the Rams but then played in the UFL, was signed this week to help get through Thursday's game.

"I'm glad you asked," Canales replied when asked about the new quarterback, clearly relishing the chance to tell a story.

"Even just today, just enjoying the day, enjoying the moment. He was like the one thing that I learned while playing in the UFL is that guys are playing for the love of the game; it's about passion, it's about opportunity, and it's about proving to themselves that they can do this. And when the NFL says no, do you just go home, or do you find another place you can play football to kind of prove that?

"And I just got chills hearing that. I was like, that's it right there, that's the mentality. At any level, especially here, where guys can take it for granted. This is the greatest, these are the greatest days of our lives. This is a dream, we're living a dream to be able to do this. So, it was a really cool conversation."