The Panthers can’t catch a break.
Just a week after second-year pass rusher Nic Scourton tore his ACL, Panthers rookie wide receiver Chris Brazzell will undergo season-ending surgery on his torn LCL, per Adam Schefter.
The injury happened during a 7-on-7 drill in Wednesday’s practice, after which he couldn’t put weight on his left foot before being helped to a cart.
It’s another significant loss for the Panthers, who have an already thin wide receivers outside of Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker.
Before the Panthers took him in the third round in the 2026 draft, Brazzell spent four seasons between Tulane and Tennessee.
After posting just 333 receiving yards in 2024, he broke out in 2025 with 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns.
Brazzell formed a strong connection with Volunteers quarterback Joey Aguilar, who joined the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent.
He’s known for his speed and big-play ability that can stretch defenses, as he ran a 4.37-second, 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine in February.
In addition to losing Scourton and Brazzell for the season, backup tight end Mitchell Evans was carted off the field Tuesday with a less severe injury. Panthers head coach Dave Canales said exams revealed Evans has a low ankle sprain.
The Panthers will also be without their starting offensive tackles to begin the year after Taylor Moton has a blood clot and Ikem Ekwonu has a knee injury.
Starting guards Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt have also missed time at practice due to injuries.
Carolina is coming off an 8-9 season where it made the postseason, virtue of a woeful NFC South, for the first time since 2017.
