Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks suffered a devastating injury during the team’s Week 14 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Here’s the latest on Brooks’ injury and status going forward.
What Happened to Jonathon Brooks?
Brooks suffered a non-contact knee injury late in the first quarter against the Eagles. The second-round pick received on-field attention from the Panthers’ medical staff before limping to the blue medical tent on Carolina’s sideline.
Brooks was subsequently carted from the medical tent to the Panthers’ locker room as the first quarter concluded.
Panthers RB Jonathon Brooks went down on a non-contact play. pic.twitter.com/Z4EAebUshm
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 8, 2024
On Monday, Panthers head coach Dave Canales revealed that Brooks retore his ACL and will undergo season-ending surgery.
“He’s heartbroken, I’m heartbroken,” Canales told reporters. “The whole group, just feeling for him.”
Brooks previously tore his ACL in November 2023 while playing college football for the Texas Longhorns. He spent most of his rookie season on the non-football injury (NFI) list while recovering from his first torn ACL.
In three games, Brooks recorded nine carries for 22 yards while also catching three passes for 23 yards.
The team was very cautious with Brooks and eased him back very slowly, but now he’ll have to start his rehab process over. This is an unfortunate setback for the talented running back.
Fantasy Implications of Brooks’ Injury
Going forward, Chuba Hubbard will continue to serve as Carolina’s workhorse.
While his RB1 role was never in jeopardy, Brooks was starting to see an increase in usage, including earning some carries in the first quarter of the Week 14 contest.
Now, Carolina’s backfield will go back to being pretty much all Hubbard — just as it was when Brooks was on the NFI list.
Fantasy managers hoping Hubbard could help carry them to a championship were rightfully concerned that he would be more of a low-end RB2 than the RB1 he’s been. If Brooks is out, Hubbard’s RB1 season may be back on.
— PFN Analyst Jason Katz