By MIKE CRANSTON
AP Sports Writer

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) — Carolina Panthers cornerback Ken Lucas was carted off the field with an ice pack above his left eye Friday after a fight with teammate Steve Smith.
The melee came while most starters were on the sidelines during a special teams drill at training camp. It was unclear what provoked the fight. Several players and coach John Fox rushed to both players. Fox tried to separate the two, but it took linebacker Jon Beason to pull Smith off Lucas.
Lucas walked to a tent, holding his head while accompanied by a trainer. Smith was then escorted there by receiver Muhsin Muhammad to talk to Lucas. After being treated for several minutes, the Panthers’ starting cornerback walked onto a cart and was taken to the locker room. There was no immediate update on the extent of his injuries.
Smith was kicked out of practice and spent several minutes talking to kicker John Kasay on an adjacent field. He later walked into the locker room whil e practice continued.
Fox said it hasn’t been determined if Smith will be suspended .
“We haven’t had much time to talk about it,” he said. “It will be dealt with internally.”
The coach said he had an extended talk with the team after the workout.
“Any time something like that happens you’re obviously disappointed,” he said. “It’s part of football and you deal with it.”
A three-time Pro Bowl pick, Smith was had had trouble controlling his temper in the past. He was suspended for a game in 2002 after punching teammate Anthony Bright during a film session.
Smith last year signed a contract extension through the 2012 season that makes him one of the NFL’s highest-paid receivers.