Jonathon Brooks: Everything you need to know

Panthers head coach Dave Canales said Monday that he expects Brooks (knee) to be ready to participate in OTAs and minicamp, Joe Person of The Athletic reports. General manager Dan Morgan said late February that Carolina is optimistic about Brooks' recovery and his odds of contributing on offense during the 2026 campaign. A 2024 second-round pick, Brooks had his rookie debut delayed due to recovery from a right ACL tear sustained in college, and he then suited up for just two games before suffering an ACL tear in the same knee. With Rico Dowdle having moved on to Pittsburgh, Brooks faces a clear opportunity to contribute behind Chuba Hubbard if fully healthy, with AJ Dillon and Trevor Etienne representing his top competition for backfield touches.

General manager Dan Morgan said Tuesday that Brooks (knee) is doing well in his rehab, and the Panthers are optimistic that the running back will be able to contribute in 2026, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports. Morgan didn't provide any specifics regarding where Brooks stands in his rehab program for the right knee ACL tear he sustained in December 2024, but the 22-year-old at least appears to have avoided any setbacks in his recovery from surgery. A second-round pick in 2024, Brooks has appeared in just three games through two seasons, as he was delayed at the start of his rookie campaign while recovering from an ACL tear in the same knee that he sustained in college. Coming off a pair of major surgeries, Brooks will need to prove that his explosiveness hasn't been compromised as he aims to secure a role out of the Carolina backfield. The Panthers leaned primarily on the duo of Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard out of the backfield in 2025, but with Dowdle bound for free agency this offseason, Carolina could have an opening for Brooks to serve as the top complement to Hubbard during the upcoming season.

The Panthers are placing Brooks on the physically unable to perform list, ruling him out for the entire 2025 season. Players can return from the PUP list when placed on it at the start of training camp or before Week 1, but not if they get the designation this early in the offseason. Brooks tore the ACL in his right knee each of the past two years, bringing his college career to an early conclusion and then limiting his rookie season to three games. The Panthers took him in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 46th overall, but they'll now move forward with Chuba Hubbard, Rico Dowdle and Trevor Etienne as the main candidates to take carries in 2025.