Former Tennessee star WR Chris Brazzell to have season-ending surgery on torn LCL, per report
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Former Tennessee standout wide receiver Chris Brazzell will apparently have to wait until 2027 to prove his worth at the NFL level.
ESPN insider Adam Schefter posted on his social media account that The Athletic‘s Joe Person reported on Thursday that the Carolina Panthers rookie will have season-ending surgery on his torn LCL. Brazzell, who played at Tennessee in 2024 and 2025 and was a first-team All-SEC selection in his final year, was carted off the practice field on Wednesday during the Panthers’ training camp session featuring 7-on-7 drills.
Before his injury on Wednesday, the 22-year-old Brazzell had made a successful return to the field for training camp after sitting out because of knee discomfort that was unrelated to what happened on Wednesday.
Brazzell was set to be a breakout player for the Panthers as a rookie after being picked in the third round of this spring’s draft. He had a stellar spring in his first foray at the NFL level and was going to compete for playing time in Carolina behind Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker.
According to Person’s report, Brazzell received a second medical opinion on Wednesday’s injury after the initial diagnosis was that Brazzell would only miss about 8 weeks of action. A far more brutal diagnosis came on Thursday, and now Brazzell is set for a long rehab as he starts preparation for the 2027 season.
It’s already the second major injury for the Panthers, who lost second-year outside linebacker Nic Scourton to a season-ending ACL tear last week.
While Brazzell rehabs from his brutal injury, Tennessee will move on without him this fall as it chases an SEC title. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the Volunteers’ chances among the SEC powerhouses to surprise everyone and capture the SEC championship in 2026:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
