As expected, Carolina Panthers rookie rusher Jonathon Brooks won’t be hitting the ground running this summer.
Head coach Dave Canales spoke with reporters following Saturday’s session of training camp. He was asked if Brooks, who is still healing up from an ACL tear, will be available to play in preseason games.
“He will not play this preseason,” Canales stated. “He’s doing great. I saw him running out a little bit before practice. They have a progression on him. He feels stronger and stronger every day.
“He’s really focused and he’s into what we’re doing. Mentally, with our walkthroughs, just watching. And in classroom and stuff, he’s been really attentive that way. So I’m happy about what he’s doing there. And then physically, this is a guy that really can make an impact for us. So, again, wanna be really smart about when we bring him back in.”
Brooks sustained the setback in November while playing for the University of Texas. His long road to recovery, however, didn’t deter the Panthers—who traded up to make Brooks the first running back selected in the 2024 NFL draft.
Canales was then asked when he thinks his second-round pick could return.
“Week 3, Week 4—that would be great,” he replied. “Again, this is a guy with a long career ahead of him, somebody that we think really highly of. So we wanna make sure we’re really smart with this one.”
The 21-year-old back was placed on the active/non-football injury list before the start of camp.
