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Xavier Legette apologizes to Panthers fans for early ejection in preseason game

ns_headshot_2024-clearby: Nick Schultz08/09/25NickSchultz_7
Xavier Legette
Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Following his ejection from Friday’s preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette took to social media to apologize. He and Rayshawn Jenkins were both ejected from the matchup in the first quarter.

Legette apologized to Panthers fans following his ejection. He said it will not happen again after tempers flared early in the game.

Legette was tasked with blocking Jenkins on a first-quarter run, and tempers flared after the whistles blew. The two players were separated, and Legette’s helmet came off. He also appeared to throw a punch at one point.

“Panthers nation I apologize,” Legette wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “It [won’t] happen again. Appreciate you all.”

Xavier Legette is getting ready for his second season in the NFL after the Panthers traded up to select him in the first round in 2024. He became a key target for Bryce Young in his first year out of South Carolina, finishing second on the roster with 497 receiving yards and four touchdowns across 16 games.

Legette has also been putting in extra work to improve his game, getting more reps with the Jugs machine. It’s part of a work ethic Panthers coach Dave Canales saw right away when he arrived last year.

“Yeah, I mean X came like that,” Canales said. “He, he worked like that from the day he got here, kind of overworked sometimes as a rookie, I thought. And I think he’s finding a rhythm that works for him. I know I can feel from him, he’s more confident in what we’re doing.

“As a rookie, you’re kind of like trying to catch your tail, and it just feels like he’s got a grasp of what we’re doing. He’s got a plan for his body. He’s got a plan for his extra work and all that, and it’s a room that really does that. And they have fun, which is my favorite part about it.”

Friday’s matchup marked the first preseason game of the year for both the Panthers and Browns, and it also drew plenty of attention. Shedeur Sanders got the start for Cleveland – giving fans a look at the former Colorado star in an NFL uniform for the first time.