In a surprising turn of events, it seems that rookie running back Jonathon Brooks won’t be making his debut for the Carolina Panthers as soon as expected. Panthers head coach Dave Canales previously mentioned that the team hoped to see Brooks on the field around Week Three or Four, but it appears that won’t be the case.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Brooks will be placed on the non-football injury list to start the regular season. This decision will take him off the active roster and make him ineligible to play in the first four games of the regular season. It’s a setback for the young running back, who tore his ACL during his final season at Texas but was still selected by the Panthers in the second round of the draft.
With Brooks sidelined, the Panthers will have to rely on other running backs to carry the load. Miles Sanders, Chuba Hubbard, Mike Boone, Raheem Blackshear, and Jaden Shirden are all vying for playing time and looking to make an impact on the field. It will be interesting to see how the Panthers adjust their game plan without Brooks in the lineup, but one thing is for sure – they will be ready to face whatever challenges come their way.