CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers have lost rookie running back Jonathon Brooks for the remainder of the season to a torn ACL in his right knee just three games into his return to the field.
Brooks suffered a non-contact injury in Carolina’s 22-16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday on his first carry of the game and was carted to the locker room.
Panthers coach Dave Canales said Brooks will have surgery in the coming weeks, adding that the running back is “really crushed and discouraged” over the second major injury to his knee in 13 months. Brooks first tore his ACL in November 2023 while playing for Texas, requiring surgery and causing his stock to drop in the NFL draft.
The Panthers took a chance on Brooks in the second round with the idea of bringing him along slowly.
Carolina held him out through training camp and he started the regular season on injured reserve and missed the first 10 games of the season. He returned to action three weeks ago, but had just nine carries for 22 yards and three receptions for 23 yards over the past three games.
Canales informed the team of the results of the MRI on Brooks' knee prior to meeting with reporters.
“Everyone is pulling for him,” Canales said.
"My heart is with him. The amount of hard work that he put in to get back to this place, to get him (ready) to play," he added Monday. "He's heartbroken, I'm heartbroken.
"We'll be here every step of the way with him."
Mike Boone is expected to step in as Carolina's No. 2 running back with Brooks out.
He made his NFL debut in Week 12 against the Kansas City Chiefs, after a more than year-long recovery and rehabilitation process. He had two carries for seven yards in that first game then followed it up with six carries for 18 yards in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 13.
Brooks suffered this latest injury on his first carry of the game against Philadelphia.
Carolina selected the Hallettsville, Texas, native in the second round (46th overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft despite him still recovering from the initial ACL tear.
— With files from Sportsnet Staff
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