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Panthers' Trevis Gipson Under Fire After Brutal Clip Goes Viral
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- Panthers' Trevis Gipson Under Fire After Brutal Clip Goes Viral
Carolina's 34-3 rout of Atlanta on Sunday should have been remembered for Devin Lloyd 's big day. Instead, the moment cutting through NFL social media Monday is a Panthers defender jumping onto a pile of players who were already down.
With the score 27-3 late in the third quarter, Atlanta faced third-and-2 near midfield and came up short. On the whistle, Panthers linebacker Trevis Gipson left his feet and came down elbow-first onto a group that included Falcons offensive linemen Matthew Bergeron and Chris Lindstrom , according to Total Pro Sports .
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A clip of the move, filmed from the broadcast angle, began circulating on X within minutes and had NFL fans and media accounts sharing it well into Monday.
Falcons receiver Drake London was seen barking toward the Carolina sideline afterward, and Atlanta offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor , who absorbed the brunt of the impact, left the game with a rib injury , per Yahoo Sports.
Gipson's Explanation
Asked about it after the game, Gipson didn't deny what the clip showed. Yahoo Sports reports he explained the leap as him looking out for teammate Devin Lloyd, who had just returned an interception 16 yards for a touchdown and was in the pile at the time; Gipson said he was making sure nobody got a late shot in on Lloyd.
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Whatever the intent, the tackle who actually absorbed the hit wasn't the one Gipson was trying to protect.
Panthers coach Dave Canales, addressing reporters afterward , kept his comments focused on the team's response after a lopsided Week 1 loss rather than the incident itself.
Panthers linebacker Trevis Gipson jumped and dropped his elbow onto a pile that included Falcons linemen Matthew Bergeron and Chris Lindstrom.David Jensen / Getty Images
Why It Matters
Landing on players who are already down, after the whistle, is the kind of tape the league office reviews closely.
Total Pro Sports notes it's unclear whether the play will draw a fine, since intent is part of what gets weighed, but a launch onto a pile that includes an opponent's head is exactly the type of clip that tends to get flagged once it's making the rounds online.
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The Bigger Picture
Buried under the controversy was one of Carolina's best team performances in years. Bryce Young threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns, and Devin Lloyd, in just his second game with the Panthers, recorded two interceptions, a sack, and the pick-six that set off the chain of events.
Carolina forced five Atlanta turnovers and bounced back from a 59-point loss to the Bears in Week 1. Young is now 5-1 in his career against the Falcons, and the two teams meet again later this season.
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This story was originally published by Lindys Sports on Sep 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Lindys Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
