Jonathon Brooks’ NFL career is off to a poor start, not because he’s playing poorly. Instead, the former Texas Longhorn couldn’t remain healthy after re-injuring the knee, which forced him to miss some time in college.
Panthers head coach Dave Canales announced that Brooks suffered a season-ending ACL injury during their Week 14 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s unfortunate for the running back, who has recently returned to action. His rookie season ends after three games, tallying nine carries for 22 yards.
Panthers coach Dave Canales says rookie RB Jonathon Brooks suffered a torn ACL. pic.twitter.com/60fJbO6TPb
— NFL (@NFL) December 9, 2024
While an ACL injury shortened Brooks’ final season with the Longhorns, the Panthers still selected him in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. However, the Panthers placed him on injured reserve to start the season, and he was activated in early November.
However, even if he was healthy enough to return, Chuba Hubbard took most of the carries, leading him to have 1,011 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games. Sadly, the ACL injury could take months to heal, leaving Brooks unavailable early in the 2025 season.
At his best, Brooks can dominate in the field, as proven in his final season with the Longhorns. He had 187 carries for 1,139 yards and ten touchdowns for Texas before declaring for the NFL draft.
-Lance Fernandez