The Carolina Panthers are still taking every possible precaution with running back Jonathon Brooks. He was spotted working out on the sidelines as the team returned to practice on Monday, and head coach Dave Canales wasn't necessarily forthcoming regarding the player's status for Week 1 against the Chicago Bears.
Brooks got a full offseason of work, which was integral after missing the best part of two years with successive torn ACLs. Unfortunately, the Texas product felt some soreness last week, though it isn't believed to be in his surgically repaired knee.
Canales wasn't giving away much during his latest media availability. The Panthers have until Wednesday before their first injury report is revealed. But after being incredibly bullish about Brooks being on the field at Bank of America Stadium to start the campaign, there was a little more hesitancy after the weekend break.
Carolina Panthers face an anxious wait with Jonathon Brooks' status uncertain
And that makes it a precarious situation to monitor in the coming days.
"I'll give you guys all the updates on Wednesday. I hope so. We have to just keep taking it one day at a time. He ran out there today, and then we'll evaluate what that looked like; we'll see that and compare it to what he looked like before, and we'll go from there."
The Panthers are counting heavily on Brooks this season. They still have Chuba Hubbard to set the tone, but the 2024 second-round pick is expected to bring a completely different dynamic to the backfield.
Carolina also wants to finally get a return on its investment.
Brooks looked sharp over the summer. The explosiveness and speed were evident despite some demoralizing injury problems. This slight setback isn't ideal, but the player will be working hard to prove his fitness in time to feature this weekend.
Canales and the medical staff will give him every chance to do so. They also won't risk him if there is any semblance of doubt. That wouldn't be the best possible start to his season, but it is absolutely integral after everything the dual-threat has endured in recent years.
Because if they put Brooks in harm's way when he isn't 100 percent and another injury comes along, the ramifications will be much more hazardous.
It's not hard to see why fans are anxious. The Panthers are looking to take the next step this season after winning the NFC South, so they need Brooks to finally put a consistent run of games together and become a focal point as the campaign progresses.
Anything less, and everyone has a big problem.
Hopefully, the news will be positive as the week goes on. But if Brooks is forced to miss one game to be healthy for the remaining 16, that's fine too.
There is too much at stake for Brooks to take an unnecessary gamble. But he deserves a little bit of luck from here on.
Add us as a preferred source on Google