Panthers rookie WR Chris Brazzell expected to miss up to 8 weeks

Jul 29, 2026

Panthers rookie WR Chris Brazzell II suffered a moderate LCL tear in his left knee in practice & he’s expected to miss up to 8 weeks, per league source.

Brazzell will get a second opinion. He’s competing for WR3 role. NFL Week 1 is 6 1/2 weeks away.

Fantasy Impact:

This might be Legette's last chance to prove he should be suiting up for the Panthers. In addition to being bad news for Brazzell himself, this could also impact McMillan's early-season ability to line up on the inside more often, as the rookie was slated to stress the defense as a vertical X receiver had he won the WR3 job. Brazzel's best ball validity takes a hit.

today

Saints sign WR Chris Olave to four-year, $132M extension

Adam Schefter

3 hours ago

Just in: Saints are signing WR Chris Olave to a four-year extension worth up to $132 million, including $90 million guaranteed, his agents Drew and Jason Rosenhaus tell ESPN.

Related Players: Jordyn Tyson, Devaughn Vele, Mason Tipton

Fantasy Impact:

Well, if the Saints aren't concerned about Olave's blood clot issue, then maybe we shouldn't be either. Olave was absent from OTAs earlier this summer, but we could take this as a sign that they're not concerned about that being a long-term issue. If he is ready ahead of Week 1, he should return fringe WR1/2 value on what is a pretty interesting offense.

Panthers WR Chris Brazzell II will undergo season-ending surgery

Adam Schefter

today · 1:59 PM EDT

Panthers rookie WR Chris Brazzell will undergo season-ending surgery on his torn LCL, as @josephperson reported. Brazzell injured his knee during Wednesday’s practice.

Fantasy Impact:

We posted yesterday that Brazzell could miss "up to" 8 weeks, and, well, that initial report was clearly too optimistic. Legette now has a clear runway to lock down the WR3 role in Carolina, but that shouldn't give us enough confidence to push him into our draft boards. In addition to being obviously terrible news for Brazzell himself, this could also impact McMillan's season-long ability to line up on the inside more often, as the rookie was slated to stress the defense as a vertical X receiver had he won the WR3 job. Now it comes down to a Legette breakout to add some further legitimacy to this passing attack.

Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield says he turned down a two-year deal from Tampa Bay

Jeremy Fowler

today · 12:40 PM EDT

Baker Mayfield tells ESPN the Bucs offered him a two-year deal, which was ‘probably the most disappointing’ part. Wanted long-term commitment.

Added Bucs were ‘pretty far’ from $50+M per club, which he wanted to enter.

Related Players: Jake Browning

Fantasy Impact:

It's becoming more and more likely that Mayfield hits the open market post-2026, which adds an intriguing wrinkle to his Dynasty outlook. As for this season, he's still behind a great offensive line, with a nice WR room, which makes him a viable QB2 or a great streaming option, should he go undrafted.