Now that every NFL team has reported to training camp, football is finally back. This is the one time of year when every team and fanbase is optimistic about what their team can accomplish this season. However, for any team to reach its potential, they have to stay healthy.
While injuries are a part of the NFL, no one wants to see them happen before the games kick off. Unfortunately, that has been the case for the Carolina Panthers and their rookie wide receiver Chris Brazzell II, who suffered a torn LCL in training camp practice.
He is now expected to miss an extended period, putting a wet blanket on all the optimism building around the franchise.
Panthers Lose Another Player in Training Camp
According to Jesse Morse, Brazzell’s injury is grade 2 and is expected to keep him out for 6-8 weeks. He is also a candidate to begin the season on the PUP list, meaning he would miss the first four games.
Chris Brazzell
Panthers rookie WR
Suffered an LCL sprain today in practice.
This is what Rashee Rice injured a couple years ago.
The LCL is on the outside of the knee, opposite the MCL. This is part of a complicated complex called the posterolateral corner that is sometimes… https://t.co/gEidpSic9D pic.twitter.com/OjZVNWuYOD
— Jesse Morse, M.D. (@DrJesseMorse) July 29, 2026
This injury is one of a few for the Panthers to deal with this early in training camp. On the first day of camp, the Panthers lost second-year edge rusher Nic Scourton to a torn ACL in his right knee. Two significant injuries in the first week of camp are a tough pill to swallow.
In the aftermath, one fan wrote, “Panthers genuinely can’t catch a break man.”
Panthers genuinely can’t catch a break man 💔
— Smoking Jay Takes (@SmokingJayTakes) July 29, 2026
Losing young players who need development in camp is the worst; unfortunately, those are the players the Panthers have lost so far. One spot where the Panthers have been looking for another impact player is at wide receiver.
On that note, another fan believes this is more than bad luck, writing, “That WR room is cursed.”
That wr room is cursed
— Dynasty Goose (@DynastyGoose) July 29, 2026
When you zoom out a little, it feels like there’s a Panthers wide receiver picking up an injury every season. Last season, they lost Jalen Coker for the first six games of the season, and now Brazzell II is facing a similar fate.
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The Panthers selected Brazzell II in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He is an explosive player who averaged 16.4 yards per reception last season at Tennessee and added nine touchdowns. He had a chance to show what he can do in training camp, but alas, his NFL career will face a delayed start this season.
Man, that is absolutely brutal for a rookie. Right when camp is starting up and you’re trying to prove yourself. Praying for a fast recovery for Chris 🙏
— Allplus (@Allpluss) July 29, 2026
The Panthers are coming off an eight-win season that was good enough to win the NFC South. However, they will likely have to be much better this season to keep the division crown. But if injuries start hampering the roster, Carolina will be behind the eight ball before kickoff.
