Spartanburg, S.C. ? Carolina Panthers receiver Steve Smith was sent home from training camp Friday 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, after the fight. Neither player was present for the team’s second practice Friday night.

The Panthers didn’t provide an update on the extent of Lucas’ 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.