Panthers Update Injury Status of Former Texas Longhorns RB Jonathon Brooks

Fresh off of a torn ACL, rookie running back Jonathon Brooks is not expected to start the year in the lineup for new head coach Dave Canales' Panthers squad.

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

Jonathon Brooks came mostly out of nowhere in 2023, but through a fantastic junior year the Texas Longhorn earned his spot as the top running back in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Carolina Panthers took a big risk when they took Brooks in late April. With no first round pick, coming off of a two-win season in 2023, new head coach Dave Canales and president of football operations Dan Morgan had to make the most out of a draft with minimal capital to their name.

Brooks was their second draft pick in 2024 but came with a massive red flag for many teams. In a late regular season game against TCU last year, Brooks tore his ACL, sidelining him for the rest of the season and finishing his career in burnt orange. Still, Brooks did enough at the combine and in the offseason to give the Panthers the confidence to draft him.

But Canales is still weary about throwing him out there immediatly. The head coach told the media that Brooks is doubtful to play in the Panthers kickoff game against the New Orleans Saints in week one, while possibly needing a second week of rest before being able to have full participation.

“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's David Newton.

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

Canales later said that this was something he had anticipated this possibility for a while, knowing that a torn ACL can often take a year or more to recover from.

But the Panthers still made the pick, and its easy to see why. In just 10 games, including one where he left for injury, Brooks ran for 1139 yards and 10 touchdowns, adding another 286 yards and a score through the air. His 143 yards from scrimmage per game was second among all Power Five running backs in 2023, only behind non-draft eligible Oklahoma State star Ollie Gordon.

Brooks may not be able to shine as early as week one, but Texas fans will be keeping their eyes on an NFC South division that now features two straight star Longhorn runningbacks, especially when Bijan Robinson's Atlanta Falcons head to Carolina in week six of the NFL season.