Panthers Make Regular Season Decision on Texas Ex Jonathon Brooks

The Carolina Panthers made their decision of rookie running back and former Texas Longhorns star Jonathon Brooks ahead of Week 1.

Texas Longhorns running back Jonathon Brooks (24) celebrates after he runs into the end zone for a touchdown against TCU Horned Frogs in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, November. 11, 2023, at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. / Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Carolina Panthers rookie and former Texas Longhorns star running back Jonathon Brooks will have to wait a few more weeks to start his NFL career.

According to reports from ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Panthers have elected to leave Brooks on the non-football injury list ahead of the team's opener on September 8, which by rule means that he will be sidelined for the first four weeks of the regular season.

That said, the Panthers made a long-term investment in Brooks when they selected him No. 46 overall in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and they will remain patient on his recovery.

Brooks will take the same approach.

Texas Longhorns running back Jonathon Brooks (24) jumps over Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Reggie Pearson (21) for the first down in the third quarter during an NCAA college football game at the Cotton Bowl on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. This game makes up the119th rivalry match up. / Ricardo Brazziell / USA TODAY NETWORK

"You kind of just have to look at your future,'' Brooks said, per ESPN. "I just have to know that for me to have patience is going to help me further my career.''

Brooks, who became the bell-cow runner for the Longhorns in place of Doak Walker Award winner Bijan Robinson, looked poised to be the consensus RB1 behind a stout offensive line in Austin. The Hallettsville native posted four consecutive 100-yard outings from Week 3-7 before two 99-yard bids ended the streak. 

In fact, Brooks was one pace to win Big 12 Running Back of the Year before a torn ACL in Week 10's win over TCU sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Brooks finished with 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 6.1 yards per contest.

And on a unit that was one of the best in the country, he was arguable the best player.

Fortunately for Brooks, outside of the ACL injury, he has also remained healthy throughout his career, meaning that his limited usage in college might end up being a blessing in disguise for both him and the Panthers.

“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,” Canales said, according to ESPN.

And whenever he does get started, he is very much looking forward to carrying on the legacy of Texas NFL running backs that came before him.

"Definitely, and for me, guys like Jamaal Charles, Ricky Williams, all of them coming back to Texas, I have a lot of good feedback from them," Brooks said after he was drafted. Even Coach Choice, he didn’t play at Texas, but he has a lot of good feedback. But for me to be able to learn from Bijan and Roschon for those two years at Texas, then even after their first year in the league, they gave me a lot of good insight for what it will be like, how it is, and how you maintain your body throughout the league. It’s pretty awesome to have those guys."

"When you go to Texas – Malcolm Roach literally just said it – it’s like a brotherhood regardless of when you came out. Malcolm Roach at the spring game treated me like I played on the team with him, like I was one of his brothers. When you go to Texas, it’s a brotherhood and something we take a lot of value in."