Jonathon Brooks's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Carolina Panthers rookie running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) is still in the final stages of his return from an ACL injury and will not have his 21-day practice window opened this week, per Sheena Quick. It was initially anticipated that Brooks could return to the team in Week 5 for his NFL debut. However, he evidently still has "a couple of hurdles to clear." He'll now have to wait at least one more week. The Panthers may be playing it slow with their rookie second-round pick, heeding more of a cautious approach with the 21-year-old coming off a severe knee injury. Additionally, the breakout of Chuba Hubbard over the last two weeks could play a part in this, too. With Brooks still sidelined, Hubbard will continue to see the majority of backfield touches, with Miles Sanders mixing in when he needs a breather. The former will look to continue to build on his back-to-back standout performances in Week 5 when the team visits Soldier Field and the Chicago Bears. Hubbard will be an RB2 with upside, while Sanders presents as just his handcuff for the contest.

Carolina Panthers rookie running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) is in the final stages of returning to play, according to Sheena Quick of 1340 AM. Brooks suffered a torn ACL in November and has been sidelined since the beginning of training camp. The former second-round pick in this year's draft could return in Week 5 at the earliest, and this new report suggests that could be the case. In his final season at Texas, Brooks ran for 1,139 yards and ten scores and added 286 yards off 25 catches through the air. Fantasy managers should expect the rookie to be eased into game action when he is cleared to return. However, Brooks should eventually become the lead option in the Carolina backfield and could be a valuable fantasy asset down the stretch.

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) will miss at least the first four games of the regular season after he was placed on the PUP list amidst his torn ACL recovery. This will delay Brooks' NFL debut, and he'll face an uphill battle to emerge as the Panthers' No. 1 running back once he's healthy. While Brooks is undoubtedly the Panthers' franchise running back, it could be difficult for him to win the job over Chuba Hubbard in the middle of the season while recovering from a serious injury and still acclimating to the NFL caliber of play. In other words, a Week 5 return wouldn't necessarily mean he'd warrant a spot in your Week 5 starting lineup. At the very least, fantasy managers should tamper expectations when Brooks gets healthy and be prepared to exercise patience as he gets adjusted to the NFL.

The Carolina Panthers have placed rookie running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) on the Physically Unable to Perform list, meaning he will miss the season's first four games. Brooks is still recovering from a torn ACL he sustained last November while at Texas. Despite the injury, the Panthers were impressed enough with Brooks to trade up and select him in the second round of the NFL draft. In Brooks' absence, the Panthers will rely heavily on Chuba Hubbard, who led the backfield last season with 1,135 yards from scrimmage and five total touchdowns over 17 games (12 starts). Veteran Miles Sanders, who had 586 scrimmage yards in 2023, will also be in the mix for touches. Hubbard is a solid late-round pick for those using a zero-RB strategy, as he should serve as a solid RB1 for Carolina until Brooks returns. If your league has an IR spot, consider targeting Brooks late in drafts for a potential payoff later in the season.

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said the team has to make a decision on whether to put rookie running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) on the Physically Unable to Perform list to start the regular season. Brooks hasn't practiced since being selected in the second round of the NFL draft in April. At this point, given all the time the 21-year-old has missed this offseason and through the summer, it would be a surprise if he didn't start his first year in the league on the PUP list, which would require him to miss at least the first four games. His injury has caused his draft stock to fall in single-year formats, but the rookie is still worth taking a late-round flier on and stashing in most leagues. If Brooks does end up landing on the PUP officially, it will only increase Chuba Hubbard's early-season fantasy standing as Carolina's lead back.