The Carolina Panthers have been in a rough place. They drafted Bryce Young with the first overall pick in last year's draft, but it didn't help them climb out of the gutter. Carolina was the worst team in the NFL last season, but after this offseason it is easy to have some hope. The Panthers added a ton of skill position talent to a roster that desperately needed it. One of those players just got a preseason injury update.
According to ESPN's David Newton, Panthers head coach Dave Canales confirms that Jonathon Brooks will not play during the NFL preseason. Additionally, Canales said that he is expecting Brooks to be close to ready by Week 3 or 4 of the 2024 NFL season.
The Carolina Panthers selected Jonathon Brooks with the 46th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Brooks is everything you could want from a modern running back. He has solid size at 6'0″ 216lbs and is a versatile offensive weapon. He boasts above-average speed and good short-area burst. Brooks is also an accomplished pass catcher as well as runner in between the tackles.
The catch with Brooks is his injury history. Brooks suffered a torn ACL late in the 2023 season against TCU, which caused him to miss the final four games of the season. Now we know that it will keep him off the field for the first several weeks of the 2024 season.
When the Panthers drafted Brooks, many knew that it was with 2025 in mind. However, they may have to lean on him heavily in 2024 as well. Rashaad Penny retired from the NFL, which leaves Carolina with only Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders, and Raheem Blackshear at running back.
This job will be Brooks' once he is fully recovered from his ACL injury.
Panthers coach Dave Canales highlights a pair of surprising breakout stars on offense
The new faces aren't the only ones who have received praise from Dave Canales.
The Panthers head coach heaped praise on a pair of former second-round wide receivers, Jonathan Mingo and Terrace Marshall Jr.
“You see Mingo, Terrace Marshall really showing who they are. David Moore, you throw the ball that his way, he comes up with it. I've really seen those guys come through, and when we can depend on them. So it's a really good room, it's a really good competition, some different styles of players. Ihmir making some nice plays today,” Canalas told reporters via AtoZ Sports.
“We talk about creating that competition and challenging every position – and that’s exactly what we want,” Canales continued. “We wanna make sure everybody’s pursuin’ their best. They’re not looking left and right. They’re just focusing on their execution and we’re getting good execution out of those guys right now.”
If one of these players can break out in Canales' new scheme, it would be a boon to the Panthers offense. Adding another weapon to Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette would give the Panthers plenty to work with moving forward.
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