Jonathon Brooks suffering another torn ACL just three games after returning to the rotation was a devastating blow to the running back and the Carolina Panthers. The rookie second-rounder has now cleared the first hurdle on his road to recovery.
Brooks spent a year working his way back from a torn ACL suffered at Texas. The Panthers took every possible precaution with the backfield threat, giving him all the support he needed and taking things one day at a time. Not even that could prevent disaster from striking once again.
The No. 46 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft went down with a non-contact injury on his first carry at the Philadelphia Eagles. Brooks was visibly dejected. He knew deep down what had happened and what would come next.
It was another torn ACL on the same knee he'd worked so tirelessly to recuperate. Brooks faces another significant spell on the sidelines and some grueling rehabilitation — both physically and mentally — to ensure the same doesn't happen again.
Just how long that'll take is anyone's guess. It would be surprising to see Brooks on the field in a competitive setting next season. Coming back from two serious ACL issues has been done before, but a situation could emerge where he'll never be the explosive presence that took college football by storm again.
Carolina Panthers RB Jonathon Brooks has successful surgery on torn ACL
That's the brutal reality Brooks will be aiming to avoid. He's come through the first element unscathed, with Joe Person of The Athletic revealing that the running back's surgery to repair the tear went according to plan.
Person also acknowledged that Brooks is expected to miss the entire 2025 campaign. Although disappointing, it's not exactly a great shock. And general manager Dan Morgan must pivot accordingly to get No. 1 option Chuba Hubbard some help.
This need grows if veteran Miles Sanders becomes a salary-cap casualty. The Panthers need a pass-catching specialist capable of filling the starting void if Hubbard gets hurt. Whether that comes through free agency or the draft hasn't been determined. Even so, this problem needs a successful resolution at some stage.
The Panthers won't have Brooks available in the short term. How they manage his recovery and any setbacks that may arrive will determine whether or not he's got a long-term future with the franchise.
Brooks can't worry about that right now. He needs to get in the right mindset for the hard work ahead. It'll be arduous, often frustrating, and everything in between. But he's going to be a lot stronger for coming out on the other side — even if that won't be for a good while yet.
He'll have a strong support system in place with the Panthers. Fans are rooting for him to succeed despite Morgan not getting an immediate return on his investment. And after everything Brooks has been through up to now, he deserves a little bit of luck thrown in for good measure.