5 critical observations from Carolina Panthers 2024 training camp Day 7
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers RB Jonathon Brooks' status
Anyone expecting Jonathon Brooks to be on the field anytime soon will be out of luck. The second-round pick is still rehabilitating a torn ACL suffered at Texas last season. It's a gradual process, but the Carolina Panthers are taking every possible precaution to avoid any unnecessary long-term impact.
The Panthers are expecting Brooks to be a focal point on offense after trading up to secure the running back at No. 46 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. Fans are eagerly anticipating his participation, which is unlikely to occur until the regular season is well underway.
Dave Canales stated that Brooks won't be risked during the preseason. The head coach expects him to be fully ready around Week 3 or Week 4 based on comments via David Newton of ESPN. This gives the rookie a little extra time to get himself at 100 percent before being unleashed.
"This is a guy with a long career in front of him, somebody we think really high about, so we want to be really smart with him. It's something we expected. Coming into the spring, we knew just the timeline and progression of where he was at. We knew we would not have him for the preseason. Even if he was kind of ready, there's a confidence thing that we want to ramp him up little by little so he feels ready to go. Physically, this is a guy that can make an impact for us. So we want to be really smart about when we bring him back in."
- Dave Canales via ESPN
The Panthers have enough in the running back room to pick up the slack until Brooks gets medically cleared. Chuba Hubbard is the No. 1 option and proved more than capable of shouldering a heavy burden last season. Miles Sanders looks rejuvenated throughout camp, so one couldn't dismiss the possibility of a bounce-back campaign.
Brooks is chomping at the bit to get involved. That said, taking the patient approach is the correct call. If it means missing some preseason games to aid his recovery, it's a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things.