Panthers head coach Dave Canales wants to build around the run game, which is why he selected Jonathon Brooks in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. After spending his early collegiate years behind superstar Bijan Robinson, Brooks finally had a chance to thrive as the leader of the Longhorns backfield. Appearing in 11 games, the running back finished the season with 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns on 187 attempts while adding another 25 receptions for 286 yards and one touchdown through the air.
Unfortunately, Brooks suffered a season-ending ACL injury that prematurely ended his season and sidelined him throughout the pre-draft process. Despite this, the Panthers saw enough in his game film to make Jonathon Brooks the first running back selected in the admittedly weak 2024 draft class. With the regular season roughly a month away, Canales recently gave an update on when the potential star could see the field again. According to ESPN’s David Newton, Brooks won’t play in the preseason but could be ready for game action in Week 3 or 4.
Canales said he’s looking for Brooks to be close to ready Week 3 or 4. https://t.co/prEzFYzV4Z
— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) August 3, 2024
Panthers Injury Update: Jonathon Brooks Could Return In Weeks 3-4
It’s worth noting that, as of this posting, Canales’ update is not set in stone. The head coach wants Jonathon Brooks to be back on the field for Week 3 or 4, but it’s not set in stone. For at least a portion of the regular season, someone other than Brooks will handle starting duties for the Carolina Panthers. While anything could happen over the next month, the odds-on favorite to start in Week 1 is longtime veteran Chuba Hubbard.
Hubbard is nothing special as a runner, but the former fourth-round pick has demonstrated the ability to be an adequate short-term starter when given a chance. After starting last year on the bench, the running back took over starting duties midway through the season and finished the campaign with 902 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 238 attempts while adding another 39 receptions for 233 yards. While his 3.8 yards per attempt won’t get him into the Hall of Fame, it’s about the best you could ask for behind a poor offensive line and a nonexistent passing game.
The Jonathon Brooks injury update also means that Miles Sanders will probably make the Panthers Week 1 roster. The former Eagle was one of the biggest disappointments of the 2023 season, as the free agent signee crashed and burned away from Philadelphia’s elite offensive line. The Panthers would only save $200,000 in cap space by cutting him, but if Brooks was healthy, they could decide to eat the dead money. However, for the time being, he’ll probably be Hubbard’s primary backup while Raheem Blackshear focuses on special teams.
Fantasy Football Outlook
Jonathon Brooks will hopefully debut for the Panthers early in the season, but what type of workload will he receive? Once he’s back to full speed, he has the talent to be a true workhorse back and handle a three-down workload. However, that probably won’t happen right out of the gate. Brooks is an impressive talent, but no rookie can skip an entire offseason’s worth of practices and hit the ground running. From a fantasy football standpoint, look for Brooks to start off as Hubbard’s backup and steadily increase his workload until he takes over as the full-time starter. The Panthers have a Week 11 bye, so don’t be surprised if Carolina officially makes the change in Week 12.
