Panthers Activate RB Jonathon Brooks

The Panthers have slow-played Jonathon Brooks‘ return, but the second-round pick will be eligible to debut as a rookie. Carolina is activating the running back prospect off the NFI list today, Dave Canales said. The move is now official.

Carolina needed to activate Brooks by today; otherwise, this year’s top RB draftee would have needed to be transferred to season-ending IR. While Canales is not committing to Brooks debuting Sunday in Germany, the Texas product is now on the team’s 53-man roster.

Around the Combine, word emerged Brooks would be ready for training camp. But that did not come to pass. Carolina held Brooks out of camp and stashed him on the reserve/NFI list, mandating a four-game absence. More than a month after Brooks was first eligible to come back, he will do so.

A recent report from ESPN.com’s David Newton pointed to Brooks being on track to debut against the Giants on Sunday, and he has now logged four full practices — including today’s. Brooks has been on the shelf since going down in November 2023. Nine- to 12-month recoveries typically cover ACL rehabs, though every injury is obviously different. Given the Panthers’ standing, it is understandable they would want to be patient here.

The Panthers traded in front of the Giants to nab Brooks at No. 46. New York’s second-round window opened at No. 47, though the team was believed to be interested in cornerback help by that point. But GM Dan Morgan had aimed to outflank former coworker Joe Schoen here. The Giants did end up with promising rookie Tyrone Tracy in the fifth round, but Brooks was the only RB chosen in the first or second round this year, pointing to a higher ceiling.

The Panthers have Brooks signed through 2027, while starter Chuba Hubbard is in a contract year. Miles Sanders loomed as a trade candidate, but the former Eagles starter remains on the Carolina roster. Brooks should still be expected to garner steady work once he debuts, with the Panthers again trudging through a rebuild campaign.