By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Panthers promising rookie wide receiver Chris Brazzell III was carted off the practice field on Wednesday with a left knee injury.
Coach Dave Canales said Brazzell will undergo testing to determine the extent of the injury. Brazzell missed the previous two days of practice with soreness in the same knee before being cleared to return.
“Same knee, something happened,” Canales said. “He felt weird on it, sat down and we took him in. We will get a full picture of that.”
The third-round draft pick out of Tennessee became the latest Carolina player to sustain an injury since the start of training camp last week.
Carolina lost second-year pass rusher Nic Scourton to a season-ending torn ACL last week and backup tight end Mitchell Evans was carted off on Tuesday, although that injury was not as severe. Canales said Wednesday that exams revealed Evans has a low ankle sprain, and he could return later this week.
The Panthers drafted Brazzell in the third round with an eye toward him becoming a valuable deep threat to pair with last year’s NFL Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette in a young but developing wide receiver room.
Brazzell ran a 4.37-second, 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine in February and has big-play ability that can stretch a defense. He had 62 catches for 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns last season for the Volunteers.
It’s been a rough summer so far for the defending NFC South champions.
The Panthers will be without both starting offensive tackles, Taylor Moton (blood clot/lung) and Ickey Ekwonu (knee), to start the regular season, while starting guards Damien Lewis (calf) and Robert Hunt (back) have missed time at practice because of injuries.
Several others players have missed practice time with nagging injuries as well.