Dave Canales confirms Panthers fans will have to wait even longer to see the on-field return of a key offensive weapon
The Carolina Panthers are playing things safe with running back Jonathon Brooks, who will not play on Thursday in the Hall of Fame Game against the Arizona Cardinals along with the rest of the top offensive starters.
The Carolina Panthers will open the preseason slate Thursday in the Hall of Fame Game against the Arizona Cardinals, but not every top player will be in action for the Panthers, which is to be expected in the first game of the preseason.
Head coach Dave Canales confirmed that backup quarterback Kenny Pickett will start Thursday’s game over Bryce Young, with Young sitting out alongside the majority of Carolina’s top offensive players. That said, the Panthers will use Thursday’s game to help certain players adjust to a live game setting.
“We have a good number of guys that will be helping out early on in the game, just because we don’t want to overload any one particular group on our team,” Canales said on Monday. “We do have practices leading into the game, and we have practices coming out of it, so I felt that with a number of guys being out there, being able to take a couple of series will really help the whole group, and we just need the football.”
One player who will not be out there on the field is promising running back Jonathon Brooks. Canales confirmed after Tuesday’s practice that Brooks, the former second-round pick out of Texas who returned earlier this offseason from a second ACL recovery, will have to wait a little longer before seeing live game action.
Fans will have to wait even longer before seeing Jonathon Brooks play, but it’ll be worth the wait
Brooks not playing on Thursday means fans will have to wait a bit longer to see what the Panthers actually have in former second-round pick. From what Brooks has shown so far this offseason, many believe he can be a player that can eventually challenge Chuba Hubbard for the lead role in this backfield.
The talent and physical tools are clearly there based on what he has shown in camp, but the Panthers are wisely prioritizing his long-term availability over any preseason reps for the time being.
The news is not surprising given Brooks’ injury history and the fact that it’s just one of four preseason games on the upcoming schedule, but it does add another layer of anticipation for Panthers fans eager to see what the electric playmaker can do now that he’s healthy again. And eventually, it’ll do Brooks some good to get live game reps under his belt before the regular season.
In the meantime, the Panthers backfield will likely be split early on between Trevor Etienne and veteran AJ Dillon with Brooks, and likely Hubbard, sitting out. Miles Davis and Anthony Tyus III will see plenty of action as well Thursday night.
Jonathon Brooks has been a standout at Panthers training camp
Brooks has shown significant promise throughout training camp, displaying the burst and outside speed that made him a top draft pick a few years back. He has taken massive steps forward this offseason, flashing the kind of playmaking ability that suggests he can in fact be a true focal point in Carolina’s backfield.
“I don’t see any hesitation in his play,” Canales explained. “He’s pressing runs. He’s hitting the ground (and) popping up. So that’s what I like to see.”
The 2024 second-round pick entered the NFL already recovering from a torn ACL and missed the start of his rookie offseason because of it. Once he finally got on the field, he showed real potential, only to tear his ACL again just three games into his career. He has not played in a game since. Brooks did cross a major hurdle last week during the team’s first padded practice with full contact.
“I think the back of my mind, obviously as a football player you’ve got to get back out there and be able to learn how to take hits, learn how to get your contact balance right back,” Brooks said last week. “And first day of pads, it was good… I feel like I’m back to 100 percent getting out there and having fun with it.”
His return to practice earlier this offseason has been a welcome sight for the Panthers organization, and the early returns have been energizing. Still, the team is clearly taking a cautious approach with his workload as he works his way back to the field.
“I’m just taking it day by day,” Brooks added. “I want to be able to be focused on each day that I’m in for camp. I just want to be able to be out there, know what I’m doing, help the team in any way I can, and just have my brothers’ backs.”
