Jonathon Brooks impressed in his first ever training camp practice on Thursday.

EDGE Analysis

Brooks is coming off back-to-back season-ending injuries. Panthers coach Dave Canales said "he looks like the guy I remember." Brooks will be competing for an immediate role in the Panthers backfield alongside Chuba Hubbard.

Brooks didn't participate in team drills during Tuesday's OTA session, Alex Zietlow of the Charlotte Observer reports.

EDGE Analysis

That said, Brooks participated in individual drills Tuesday, with his limitations characterized by coach Dave Canales as "just a rest day." Given the running back's injury history, notably two ACL tears, it's not surprising that the team is inclined to ramp up the 2024 second-rounder's workload deliberately with an eye toward ensuring he's at full strength once the regular season arrives. In terms of how Brooks has looked in OTAs, Canales noted "JB's looked great, in the run game certainly, but also in the pass game. He has a great ability to catch the ball, track it, and transition once he catches it." With Rico Dowdle now with the Steelers, Brooks -- who missed the entire 2025 season -- has an opportunity to claim a notable backfield role alongside Chuba Hubbard in 2026, provided he can stay on the field.

Brooks (knee) said Tuesday that he's been fully cleared to participate in the Panthers' offseason program, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Brooks said he feels "close to 100 percent" after tearing his right ACL for the second time in Week 14 of the 2024 campaign. Brooks missed the entirety of the 2025 campaign but appears ready to contribute this season. The offseason has set up nicely for Brooks after Rico Dowdle left in free agency, leaving Brooks as the clear favorite to open the season as the RB2 behind Chuba Hubbard. AJ Dillon was signed to a minimum-level deal but has barely played over the last two seasons, and Trevor Etienne is a satellite back who mainly played special teams as a 2025 rookie.

Panthers head coach Dave Canales said Monday that he expects Brooks (knee) to be ready to participate in OTAs and minicamp, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

General manager Dan Morgan said in late February that Carolina is optimistic about Brooks' recovery and his odds of contributing on offense during the 2026 campaign. A 2024 second-round pick, Brooks had his rookie debut delayed due to recovery from a right ACL tear sustained in college, and he then suited up for just two games before suffering an ACL tear in the same knee. With Rico Dowdle having moved on to Pittsburgh, Brooks has a clear opportunity to contribute behind Chuba Hubbard if fully healthy, with AJ Dillon and Trevor Etienne representing his top competition for backfield touches.

General manager Dan Morgan said Tuesday that Brooks (knee) is doing well in his rehab, and the Panthers are optimistic that the running back will be able to contribute in 2026, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

Morgan didn't provide any specifics regarding where Brooks stands in his rehab program for the right knee ACL tear he sustained in December 2024, but the 22-year-old at least appears to have avoided any setbacks in his recovery from surgery. A second-round pick in 2024, Brooks has appeared in just three games through two seasons, as he was delayed at the start of his rookie campaign while recovering from an ACL tear that he sustained in college in the same knee. Coming off a pair of major surgeries, Brooks will need to prove that his explosiveness hasn't been compromised as he aims to secure a role out of the Carolina backfield. The Panthers leaned primarily on the duo of Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard out of the backfield in 2025, but with Dowdle bound for free agency this offseason, Carolina could have an opening for Brooks to serve as the top complement to Hubbard during the upcoming season.

The Panthers are placing Brooks on the physically unable to perform list, ruling him out for the entire 2025 season.

EDGE Analysis

Players can return from the PUP list when placed on it at the start of training camp or before Week 1, but not if they get the designation this early in the offseason. Brooks tore the ACL in his right knee each of the past two years, bringing his college career to an early conclusion and then limiting his rookie season to three games. The Panthers took him in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 46th overall, but they'll now move forward with Chuba Hubbard, Rico Dowdle and Trevor Etienne as the main candidates to take carries in 2025.

Carolina placed Brooks (knee) on injured reserve Tuesday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

Brooks' move to IR was fully expected after the 2024 second-round pick suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during Sunday's 22-16 loss to the Eagles. The setback is a devastating one for the 21-year-old running back, who tore a ligament in the same knee last November during his final collegiate season at Texas. Brooks didn't make his NFL debut until a little over a year after suffering the first ACL tear, so he'll almost certainly open the 2025 season on IR and may not be ready for game action until late in the campaign. He appeared in just three games for Carolina as a rookie, carrying the ball nine times for 22 yards and recording three receptions for 23 yards on three targets.

Panthers head coach Dave Canales announced Monday that Brooks suffered another tear of his right ACL during Sunday's 22-16 loss to the Eagles and will miss the remainder of the 2024 season, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Brooks will undergo surgery to address his ACL re-injury, per Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer. The rookie second-round pick had to be carted off the field in the second quarter of Sunday's loss after sustaining a non-contact injury. The development is brutal for Brooks, who made his NFL debut and returned from IR just three games ago, ultimately playing only 23 offensive snaps in his rookie campaign. Brooks now will face the task of rehabbing from his second ACL tear in 13 months, with both injuries having occurred in the same knee. With Raheem Blackshear (chest) dealing with an injury of his own, Chuba Hubbard remains in line for a clear workhorse role out of the backfield heading into a Week 15 matchup against the Cowboys.

Coach Dave Canales said after Sunday's 22-16 loss at Philadelphia that Brooks will undergo further testing on his right knee to determine the extent of his injury, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

Brooks remained on the turf after getting injured in the second quarter and needed a cart to get to the locker room. Per Canales, Brooks has pain in his right knee, but no diagnosis has yet come to light. Fellow RB Raheem Blackshear suffered a chest injury Sunday, leaving Chuba Hubbard as the only healthy player at the position on the Panthers' active roster.

Brooks was forced out of Sunday's game against the Eagles with a knee injury, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

Prior to being carted off the field, Brooks carried once for minus-3 yards. With Raheem Blackshear having sustained a chest injury during the contest, Chuba Hubbard remains available to handle Carolina's backfield duties versus Philadelphia.