Jonathon Brooks is something of a forgotten man in the Carolina Panthers backfield, but that could change in the coming months. Originally selected in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Texas product was the first running back off the board despite coming off a torn ACL. Brooks was in the midst of a dominant collegiate season, but his ACL injury kept him sidelined throughout the pre-draft process. Despite this, Carolina felt comfortable in Brooks’ talent and was willing to wait a bit for him to return to peak form.
Unfortunately, Jonathon Brooks has suffered setback after setback since entering the league. He was supposed to be ready for Week 1 of his rookie season, but he didn’t make his debut until midway through the campaign. He lasted just three games before suffering another injury, and the recovery process forced him to miss all of 2025. In his absence, veterans Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle stepped up and played well over the past two seasons. While Dowdle is now with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Hubbard remains the presumptive starter, and Brooks is simply trying to prove he can stay healthy. While we’ve still got a long way to go between now and the regular season, early reports indicate Brooks is playing well at OTAs.
Jonathon Brooks Impressing In Panthers OTAs
According to Alex Zietlow of The Observer, Jonathon Brooks has been one of the standouts during the Panthers OTA practices and appears to be recapturing his pre-injury form. Now, it’s important to note that OTAs are not full-speed practices, and that full-speed practices are nothing close to a real game experience. However, it’s encouraging to see the running back showing signs of life, and Zietlow isn’t the only one who has been impressed for the Texas product.
To date, Jonathon Brooks has appeared in just three games, making one start while recording 22 yards on nine attempts, while adding three receptions for 23 yards. To say he’s inexperienced would be a wild understatement. However, it wouldn’t be too hard to envision a world where he plays a large role in the offense. Assuming he can stay healthy, he has a relatively clear path to playing time.
The Panthers Depth Chart
As of this posting, the Carolina Panthers have Chuba Hubbard, Brooks, former fifth-round pick Trevor Etienne, and veteran journeyman AJ Dillon fighting for carries in this offense. Etienne had an unremarkable rookie year and didn’t do much of anything to suggest he can handle a larger role. Dillon, meanwhile, never played up to his draft capital and is nothing more than a veteran offseason signing brought in for competition. Chances are, he’s not making the roster. Assuming Jonathon Brooks stays on his feet, he should easily beat these guys for touches.
Chuba Hubbard will likely start the season as the team’s primary running back, but Jonathon Brooks has the raw skills to win the job eventually. While Hubbard played well in relief of Brooks and Christian McCaffrey in 2023 and 2024, his 2025 season left something to be desired. In total, he finished with just 511 rushing yards and one touchdown on 134 attempts and quickly surrendered the starting job to Rico Dowdle.
Hubbard will likely bounce back to an extent in 2026, but his days of being a 1,100-yard rusher are probably a thing of the past. The veteran running back has decent vision and is an NFL-caliber athlete, but a healthy version of Jonathon Brooks offers far more upside. Only time will tell if the former second-round pick can reach that potential, but it’s definitely something to monitor throughout the offseason.
Main Photo: Jim Dedmon – Imagn Images
