The Carolina Panthers have officially closed up the book on Jonathon Brooks’ rookie season.
As announced on Tuesday afternoon, the team has placed the running back on injured reserve—which now ends his first NFL campaign. The 21-year-old re-tore the ACL in his right knee in the first quarter of Sunday’s 22-16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and is expected to undergo surgery.
Brooks missed the first 10 games of the season while still recovering from his first ACL tear, one he sustained as a member of the University of Texas Longhorns in November of 2023.
Head coach Dave Canales spoke about the brutal setback on Monday.
“My heart is with him,” Canales told reporters. “I mean, just the amount of work he put in to get back to this place, to get him to play. So, he’s heartbroken, I’m heartbroken, the whole group just feeling for him.
“So, we’ll be here every step of the way with him, supporting him through this journey. He knows how to do this. He’ll be able to attack it, and his focus is just gonna shift in terms of what he’s competing for.”
Carolina selected Brooks with the 46th overall pick of the 2024 draft.
He appeared in only three games.
