The Carolina Panthers are on the eve of week six and they still haven't seen Jonathon Brooks take the field for his first NFL action. Or even the practice field at full speed.
This scenario was always going to be in play. Brooks, a running back from the University of Texas, tore his ACL in a Big 12 contest against TCU last November. Nearly a full year after surgery Brooks has yet to show the team and fans alike why Carolina drafted the talented running back in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. A full calendar year post ACL-tear is a completely reasonable recovery time for a running back with Brooks' dynamic skills, but fans are becoming impatient.
In July, head coach Dave Canales said that it would be great to see Brooks on the field sometime around week three or four. "You know week three, week four, that would be great. But again, this is a guy with a long career in front of him. Somebody that we think really highly of, so we want to make sure that we're smart with this one."
Dave Canales' prognosis on Jonathon Brooks did not age well
Canales may have overpromised when making that statement, but when the team made the decision to place Brooks on the PUP list on roster cut-down day, it became clear the rookie wouldn't see the field for some time. Said decision made Brooks ineligible to return to the active roster until week five, but again, we're on the precipice week six and Brooks is nowhere to be found.
What's the point of playing Jonathon Brooks now?
At this point, is it even worth bringing him back in 2024?
Brooks' backfield mate Chuba Hubbard has played at an All-Pro level through five weeks. The veteran running back has been handed the keys to the Carolina rushing attack and has delivered in spades. The Panthers' rebuilt offensive line has opened up gaping holes for Hubbard and he has smashed through them on his way to 393 yards through five starts, the fifth highest tally in the league.
For a Panthers team that is a handful of losses away from entering full on 2025 NFL draft preparation mode, what purpose does it serve to play Brooks in a lost season? The running back position is notoriously brutal on bodies, with every carry serving as a glancing blow to an ever diminishing supply of hit points. Theoretically, Carolina could redshirt Brooks, move on from Hubbard this offseason, and enter 2025 with a fresh, explosive backfield talent that is primed to run wild in his psuedo-rookie season.
On the other hand, fan morale is at an all-time low for the Panthers. Dave Canales and company could trot Brooks out down the stretch of 2024 as a beacon of hope for the offense's future. Apathy is more dangerous than disdain, and if Brooks can wash away some of the apathy that has creeped into the Carolina Panthers fanbase during this decade of bad football, it may be worth it. Even a handful of explosive carries in December and Januray could be enough manna to feed ravenous Panthers fans through the dog days of the offseason.
There's no right answer for Carolina. Playing Brooks and redshirting him both have their pros and cons, and this is a decision that I am glad I don't have to make.
