The Carolina Panthers have only just begun preparing for the 2026 campaign, but the injury bug is already hitting this team hard at training camp. Linebacker Nic Scourton is already out for the entire year after suffering a torn ACL on the first day of practice, and right tackle Taylor Moton will miss the start of the season with blood clots in his lung. Now, the team has received a discouraging update on rookie wide receiver Chris Brazzell II.
Reports emerged on Wednesday that Brazzell suffered a moderate LCL tear, with the initial timeline expected to see him miss up to eight weeks. However, further testing led Carolina to change its mind, and it’s resulted in a crushing update for Brazzell that will only add to the team’s current injury woes.
Chris Brazzell II Set to Miss Entire 2026 Campaign with LCL Injury
The Panthers selected Brazzell in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft after he put together a strong collegiate career. Brazzell enjoyed a breakout campaign with the Tulane Green Wave and the Tennessee Volunteers in 2025, as he racked up 62 receptions for 1,017 yards and an SEC-leading nine touchdowns.
Carolina was hoping that Brazzell could immediately earn snaps as a rookie and give quarterback Bryce Young another target in the passing game. Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker are a solid top pairing, but the depth behind them isn’t great, which is why the team had such high hopes for Brazzell.
Initially, it seemed like this LCL injury was merely a bump in the road for Brazzell as he began his professional career. Instead, the two sides decided that the best path forward was to bite the bullet and have Brazzell undergo surgery. While it is likely the safest option for his long-term health, this will cause Brazzell to miss the entire 2026 campaign.
“After receiving a 2nd opinion, Panthers rookie WR Chris Brazzell will undergo season-ending surgery on his torn LCL, per a source with knowledge of the situation,” Joe Person of The Athletic reported in a post on X. “The team and Brazzell view surgery as the best course of action for his future.”
Panthers’ Wide Receiver Depth Takes Hit with Chris Brazzell II Injury Update
GettyPanthers’ rookie wide receiver Chris Brazzell II will miss the entire 2026 campaign after suffering a torn LCL
Losing Brazzell is a big blow, not just for the team, but also for him individually, as his development has hit a serious roadblock. Now that he’s out, that’s going to place a bigger spotlight on guys like Xavier Legette, Jimmy Horn Jr., and John Metchie III, as a couple of these guys are going to have to step up as secondary targets behind McMillan and Coker.
The Panthers will look to get Brazzell under the knife as soon as possible so that he can begin working his way back to full health. While Carolina has a decent amount of wide receiver depth at its disposal, it could look to bring another player to town in order to fill the hole left by Brazzell. In the meantime, the rest of the team will look to do whatever it can to stay healthy amid what’s been a brutal start to training camp in the injury department.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Panthers’ Rookie Gets Dealt Crushing Injury Update at Training Camp appeared first on HEAVY.