Brazzell (knee) will soon have season-ending surgery on the LCL tear he suffered Wednesday, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.
Initial reports suggested Brazzell would miss around two months, but that was assuming he could recover without surgery. After getting a second opinion, Brazzell will undergo surgery and presumably spend the entirety of his rookie season on injured reserve. With the 2026 third-round pick out of the equation, Xavier Legette and John Metchie are the strongest candidates for the No. 3 WR role behind locked-in starters Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker. The timing of Brazzell's injury (July 29) should allow him to come back at full health for Carolina's offseason program in 2027.