Jonathon Brooks has waited more than two years to finally start an NFL season with the Carolina Panthers. But after an uneventful offseason on the injury front, the panic meter has now risen at the worst possible time.
Brooks missed the final two days of practice this week before the Panthers broke for a few days off. Head coach Dave Canales described it as soreness, and although more updates will be available when Carolina gets back in the building, he remains confident about the running back's availability for Week 1 against the Chicago Bears.
This was a positive update, of sorts.
Dave Canales calms Carolina Panthers fans' fears over Jonathon Brooks
Still, it's not hard to see why Panthers fans are feeling a little nervous about Brooks' status.
"We'll give you guys all the updates when we come back next week. I'm very optimistic he'll be available for Week 1."
The No. 46 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft — a player Carolina traded up to acquire — has been an innocent bystander since entering the league. Brooks joined the Panthers on the back of tearing his ACL at Texas. Just a few games into his comeback, the same complication happened on the same knee.
It's been a long, grueling road back for Brooks. And just when it looked like he was finally building momentum to make a significant impression this season, doubts have resurfaced.
The concerns reflect Brooks' career trajectory up to now.
At the same time, pressing the panic button is foolish.
The Panthers are being cautious, and rightfully so. They need Brooks healthy, which would bring a different dynamic to the offense. If that means he has to miss a couple of practices before preparations for the Bears ramp up, it's a small price to pay.
Carolina Panthers are right to take every possible precaution with Jonathon Brooks
Pushing him now is not an option.
It's been a step-by-step process throughout the summer. Jeopardizing the staff's patience and Brooks' encouraging strides for pretty meaningless practice reps just wouldn't have been smart.
Canales was bullish about Brooks being on the field in Week 1 at Bank of America Stadium. This should be nothing more than a slight setback, and the dual-threat will be getting plenty of rest over the weekend. And if he needs to take things easy early next week to ensure he is ready to hit the ground running when the regular season arrives, that's fine too.
Overreactions are plentiful at this time of year. The sky is falling, or the ceiling is soaring, depending on what your team is doing.
But nothing much matters now. Certainly not compared to next week.
Brooks is a breakout candidate with a better run of good health. He'll be working as a tandem with Chuba Hubbard, who is also expected back for Week 1. The Panthers also have Trevor Etienne (injured reserve) and free-agent signing A.J. Dillon, who did more than enough to secure a role for himself.
The running back room should be productive. Brooks is the wild card, but even though alarm bells are ringing in some sections of the fan base, this is nothing to be overly concerned about.
Hopefully, that proves accurate when further updates arrive next week.
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