Former South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette's preseason debut didn't last long on Friday night, as the Carolina Panthers' second-year wideout was ejected in the first half of the game for fighting during their preseason matchup against the Cleveland Browns.
Nah Xavier Legette was really out there throwing HAYMAKERS 💀pic.twitter.com/2iMWbUoc8p
— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) August 8, 2025
The altercation occurred after a play when Legette squared up with Brown defender Rayshawn Jenkings. The exchange between the two quickly escalated, with Legette appearing to land multiple punches, despite Jenkins wearing his helmet, before teammates and officials broke up the fight. Both Legette and Jenkins were ejected from the game. Soon after his exit, Legette took to social media to issue an apology to fans, posting on X:
Panthers nation I apologize It want happen again ‼️‼️ i appreCiate youu all🫡
— Xavier Legette (@XavierLegette) August 8, 2025
Legette, a first-round pick by the Carolina Panthers in the 2024 NFL Draft is entering his second season in the NFL. On the field, Legette is coming off of an impressive rookie campaign where he posted 49 catches for nearly 500 yards and four touchdowns, ranking just behind the Panthers veteran Adam Thielen. Heading into his second year with Carolina, the expectations are limitless for Legette to level up and become even more of a threat for the Panthers offense.
It is not clear yet if the NFL will issue any further discipline for the incident between the players. The Panthers open the regular season on September 7 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.