Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks will undergo season-ending surgery after suffering a torn ACL during Sunday's 22-16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Panthers coach Dave Canales announced on Monday.
Sunday was Brooks' third game of the season after he was previously sidelined while recovering from his previous knee injury.
Carolina selected the Texas product with a second-round pick in this year's draft, and he has yet to make a significant impact.
He posted seven yards on two carries in his first game action against the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 24 and then followed up with six carries for 18 yards and three catches for 23 yards last Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Still, the Panthers clearly saw his potential when they selected him with a second-round pick even though he was dealing with the ACL tear.
Brooks ran for 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns while adding 25 catches for 286 yards and a score as a receiver in 11 games in his final season with the Longhorns. He ran for more than 100 yards in six of those games and more than 90 yards in eight of them.
Carolina still has Chuba Hubbard at running back for the immediate future, but this is more about the future.
The NFC South team is playing out the string of a lost season at 3-9, but Brooks figures to be an important part of the offense in future years. However, he will now be sidelined as he deals with a second major knee in 13 months.
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