Punches thrown at Panthers' practice

Carolina receiver Steve Smith was sent home from training camp yesterday after he punched teammate Ken Lucas at practice, leaving the starting cornerback holding an ice pack to his left eye before he was carted to the locker room.

Panthers coach John Fox said Smith and Lucas returned to Charlotte, about 80 miles away from camp in Spartanburg, S.C., after the fight. Neither player was present for the team's second practice last night.

The Panthers didn't provide an update on the extent of Lucas's injuries and club officials declined to say if the volatile Smith, the team's top receiver, would be suspended.

"We're going to handle this matter internally," general manager Marty Hurney said.

While training camps often include shoving matches between teammates, this melee occurred on the sidelines and after both players had taken off their helmets in a break for starters during a special teams drill. It was unclear what provoked the fight. While the two have routinely jawed at each other in practice since Lucas signed with Carolina in 2005, they've never come to blows in view of reporters.

When attention turned from the field to the fight, several players and Fox rushed to the scene. Fox tried to separate the two, but it took linebacker Jon Beason to pull Smith off Lucas.

Lucas walked to a tent, holding a hand to his face while accompanied by a trainer. Smith was then escorted there by receiver Muhsin Muhammad to talk to Lucas.

"Steve was probably a little remorseful for what happened," Muhammad said. "He was trying to apologize, so I was walking with him just to be there."

After being treated, Lucas walked to a nearby cart and was taken to the locker room.

Smith spent several minutes talking to kicker John Kasay on an adjacent field before he was escorted to the locker room by Hurney as practice continued.

Under terms of the collective bargaining agreement, Smith could be suspended without pay for up to four games for conduct detrimental to the team.

"Any time something like that happens, you're obviously disappointed," Fox said. "It's part of football and you deal with it."

Favre's fate on hold

Brett Favre's reinstatement to the NFL was held up again as the three-time MVP mulled getting paid not to play through a marketing deal with the Packers that could resolve the standoff over his retirement.

The potential agreement, worth a reported $20 million over 10 years, might end Favre's bid to return just months after retiring. It also would likely keep him from reporting to Packers training camp and a team that is not planning to start him at quarterback for the first time since 1992.

After talking to Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy about the marketing deal Wednesday, Favre confirmed he was considering it to ESPN Thursday. Packers coach Mike McCarthy made it clear that, from the team's perspective, the agreement would be more than a buyout to make an awkward situation go away. In fact, it's been in the works for months. He first heard about it at Favre's retirement news conference in March.

Meanwhile, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sat on Favre's reinstatement letter for the fourth straight day, giving the sides more time to resolve the situation.

Raven to sit one game

Ravens cornerback Fabian Washington was suspended one game without pay for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, a punishment stemming from a domestic violence arrest in February involving his girlfriend. Washington is allowed to participate in all preseason practices and games until his suspension begins Aug. 30 and ends after the Ravens' Sept. 7 season opener against Cincinnati . . . The Cardinals claimed former Boston College center Pat Ross off waivers from Carolina after starting center Al Johnson underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and backup Scott Peters (knee) was placed on injured reserve . . . A precautionary MRI turned up nothing wrong with the sore left knee of Broncos center Tom Nalen, but the 14-year veteran still didn't practice. He had arthroscopic surgery June 6 . . . Bills rookie linebacker Alvin Bowen sustained a severe right knee injury in practice, one that coach Dick Jauron feared could cost the fifth-round pick the season.