Panthers cut Kenny Robinson, who delivered hit that concussed Kristian Wilkerson
BOSTON -- The joint practices between the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers two weeks ago were marred by multiple instances of fighting. Now, one of the players responsible for one of the fights has been cut from his team.
The Panthers cut safety Kenny Robinson on Tuesday, as teams around the league trim their rosters from 80 to 53 players.
Robinson delivered a hit on Patriots receiver Kristian Wilkerson during a kickoff drill, one in which that level of contact was not necessarily expected. Robinson reportedly stood over Wilkerson, who was down with a concussion, causing tensions to escalate between the two teams.
"When you see a teammate down on the field -- I've been around this game for a long time, and I think anybody that plays at this level understands when a guy is out, they know what that looks like. And I don't think that's the time to celebrate. I really don't," Patriots captain Matthew Slater said that day. "I don't think we should ever celebrate when someone is down and clearly in a dire situation. And I personally take issue with that, any one of my teammates. And I don't want us doing it, on the flip side of that, if somebody else is down with clear signs and symptoms of a significant injury. So that was my issue with it, and that's why I responded strongly the way that I did."
After that practice, Panthers head coach Matt Rhule was asked if Robinson risked getting cut for that behavior. Rhule did not answer one way or another, but Robinson ended up having his time with the Panthers end just a couple of weeks later.
The 23-year-old Robinson was a fifth-round pick by Carolina in 2020 out of West Virginia. He's played in 19 NFL games, recording 18 total tackles.
