Panthers update status for RB Jonathon Brooks prior to season opener vs. Bears
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Jonathon Brooks, the Carolina Panthers running back fans love to fantasize about, gave his supporters a scare earlier this week.
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On Tuesday, Brooks was held out of team drills with what coach Dave Canales called “general soreness.” Then on Wednesday, the Panthers again held Brooks out of team drills without the actual injury being specified — they aren’t required to do that until next week, when the NFL’s injury reporting kicks in for Week 1.
But on Wednesday, in his last media availability of the week, Canales issued a positive update on Brooks.
“I’m very optimistic he’ll be available for Week 1,” Canales said.
That would be good news for the Panthers, who have been using AJ Dillon as their top running back this week with usual No. 1 back Chuba Hubbard out with a hamstring injury, No. 2 Brooks out with “general soreness” and No. 3 Trevor Etienne (ankle) out for at least a month.
The veteran Dillon was at one point considered a question mark to make the team; now he looks like a real possibility to get some touches against the Chicago Bears in the season opener Sept. 13 in Charlotte.
However, Canales has now said Brooks and Hubbard both should be available against the Bears.
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Brooks, in particular, Panthers fans have dreamed about for years. He was the team’s second-round draft pick in 2024, but has been limited to playing in only three of a possible 34 games in his first two seasons due to two separate ACL tears suffered in his football career. He missed all of last season due to the second one, but has been playing this preseason, where he scored his first NFL touchdown.
Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan said he has gained about 20 pounds this offseason but hasn’t lost any speed. He will play at roughly 220 pounds this season.
“He kind of was just a man on a mission to get stronger, to be able to feel that power in his game,” said Canales, whose Panthers practice again Thursday before taking Friday through Sunday off before ramping up for the Bears game starting on Labor Day. “That really is a part of his game that needed to be addressed, he really wanted to do that and he attacked it. … He’s been great at the line of scrimmage, rugged to the ball, and he’s still got all the same stuff.”
McMillan also accepted his NFL Rookie of the Year award Wednesday from the Pro Football Writers Association, the voice of the professional journalists who cover the NFL. In McMillan’s rookie year, he quickly established himself as Bryce Young’s No. 1 target and finished the season with 70 catches for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns. However, when asked to rate himself about two-thirds of the way through last season, he gave himself a C+.
McMillan said this season his primary goal is to “win a playoff game.” When asked when the last-second home loss to the L.A. Rams in January had stopped being painful, McMillan said: “I feel like it’s still here. I think I can speak for the rest of the team when I say that as well.”
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