Charges dismissed against Chris Brazzell on two traffic stops

The charges against Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell have been dismissed, Knox News’ Adam Sparks reported. He was facing a charge of driving with a suspended license.

Brazzell was clocked driving 60 miles per hour in a 35mph zone, and officers arrested him after learning his driver’s license had been suspended. The suspension was due to a failure to appear in court for failure to carry insurance on his vehicle in 2024, according to Knox News.

After providing proof of insurance and paying court costs, the charges were dismissed, according to court records. Brazzell then got his driving privileges back as a result of the decision, and the court dismissed the charge of driving on a suspended license.

During that initial traffic stop, Brazzell provided a U.S. passport and told police he didn’t have his driver’s license with him, Knox News reported. When the deputy checked records, they showed Brazzell’s license was under suspension due to failure to appear in court in August 2024. Because of that, he wound up under arrest.

Brazzell had a court date scheduled for Wednesday regarding this month’s violation. His attorney, T. Scott Jones, reacted to the news while speaking with Knox News.

“For perfunctory charges, like if you were driving around and your tag was expired or your license was expired, you can furnish that and bring those to court and deal with them,” Jones said. “That’s what happened in (Brazzell’s) case, and he was cleared by the Department of Safety.

“This is nothing strange. This happens every day. They’re not going to litigate every one of these. The goal is to get people’s driving privileges restored.”

Brazzell – a former transfer from Tulane – returned to practice three days after the driving violation, though Knox News reported at the time there wasn’t an “indication” that decision was related to the situation. The standout receiver had been recovering from a preseason injury.

Tennessee said in a statement at the time it was aware of Brazzell’s legal situation. The school did not publicly comment on Wednesday’s news.

Chris Brazzell totaled 29 catches, 333 yards and two touchdowns last season. He also had the game-winning touchdown vs. Alabama in 2024, and will look to lead the Vols’ wide receiver room this year with new quarterback Joey Aguilar officially in as the starter.

Tennessee is going through the final stages of training camp before the regular season officially gets underway. The Volunteers will kick things off Aug. 30 against Syracuse.