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The Carolina Panthers drafted Jonathon Brooks with their second-round pick this year. However, the running back is yet to feature for the team as he continues his recovery from an ACL tear he suffered in November last year.
Nonetheless, Carolina fans have some reason to be excited about Brooks, who is reportedly closing in on making his professional debut.
When is Jonathon Brooks returning to action?
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As per reports, Jonathon Brooks could make his NFL debut for the Panthers in Week 5, when Carolina travels to face the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Oct. 6. The Panthers could also potentially give the running back an extra week to ease him into the fray, when they host the Atlanta Falcons on Oct. 13.
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Ahead of Carolina's Week 4 clash against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Panthers coach Dave Canales provided an update on the players on the team's injured reserve list, including Brooks.
“We’re ramping them up, they’re all in the final stages of the evaluation process,” Canales said. “Some last couple of hurdles for them to clear before we feel like we can put them out there in practice. But they’re all really close.
“Jonathon [Brooks], D.J. Wonnum, Dane Jackson, [Amare] Barno, all those guys. They’re trending in the right direction. Jaden Crumedy as well. So the guys are there looking really strong. Again, they’re kinda in those final stages. I kinda just wanna leave it at that. But we’re getting close to being able to open the window for those guys.”
Brooks tore his ACL in his final collegiate season with the Texas Longhorns in November 2023. He suffered the injury while playing against TCU and was ruled out for the season.
Nonetheless, Brooks had done enough to impress the Panthers, who selected him with the No. 46 pick in this year's NFL draft. The running back rushed for 1,479 yards and 16 touchdowns in his three years with the Longhorns. He also posted 261 yards on 25 receptions and caught two touchdowns across 22 games and earned a second-team All-Big 12 selection in 2023.
It will be interesting to see how Brooks fares in the big league when he eventually makes his debut for the Panthers.
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