Total Pro Sports
The Carolina Panthers have already been hit with a tough blow on the injury front, with standout running back Jonathan Brooks already ruled out for the 2025 season.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Jonathan Brooks has been placed on the physically unable to perform list and will miss the entire 2025 season recovering from a torn right ACL he suffered in a Week 14 road contest against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Brooks tore the same ACL a year earlier during his final year of college in the Texas Longhorns’ Nov. 11 game against the TCU Horned Frogs. Brooks was the first running back taken in the 2024 NFL Draft, going 46th overall to the Panthers.
Panthers RB Jonathon Brooks tore his ACL during Week 14 last season. By being placed on PUP now, Brooks will be given time to get healthy after his second ACL tear in as many years. https://t.co/Ptizh8gIx8 pic.twitter.com/XIbUvwgTPO
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 8, 2025
Due to the two separate right ACL tears, Jonathan Brooks was limited to three games in his rookie season. The 21-year-old carried nine times for 22 yards and caught three passes for 23 yards.
With Brooks out for 2025, expect the Panthers to lean mostly on Chuba Hubbard and free agent signing Rico Dowdle in the ground game. Hubbard is coming off a career year where he rushed for 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns, earning a four-year extension worth $33.2 million.
Carolina also signed Dowdle in free agency after a career year of his own with the Dallas Cowboys. Dowdle rushed for 1,079 yards and two touchdowns, one of the few bright spots for Dallas in a wasted 2024 season.
Brooks was one of the most highly-touted skill position prospects entering the 2024 NFL Draft, but the two unfortunate injury breaks have put his NFL career on hold.
Carolina used a second-round pick on Brooks, so it’s hard to envision them giving up on him without giving the Texas product an extended look. Here’s hoping the full year of recovery will go well for Brooks, and that he’ll come back strong and at full strength for 2026.
Also Read: New Report Reveals Dallas Cowboys’ Level Of Interest In Free Agent RB Nick Chubb
