Jonathon Brooks’ status heading into Week 1 takes a promising turn but the same can’t be said for a potential starter on defense
Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks was back at practice on Wednesday adding optimism that he could play on Sunday, but the same can’t be said for edge rusher Pat Jones II.
The Carolina Panthers received a much-needed boost on offense Wednesday when running back Jonathan Brooks returned to practice in full pads. Brooks had missed multiple days of practice dating back to last week while dealing with what the team described as a soreness.
With Sunday’s Week 1 matchup against the Chicago Bears just four days away, his return to the field is a positive development for an offense looking to deploy its full backfield arsenal. Brooks did not participate in Monday’s practice but was seen running to the side and was officially limited on Wednesday.
“We have to just keep taking it one day at a time,” Canales said on Monday. “He ran out there. We’ll see (where he is) and compare it to what he looked like before and we’ll go from there.”
Optimism brewing that Jonathon Brooks will make his regular season return in Week 1
Getting Brooks back in pads and getting fully integrated with the rest of the offense on Wednesday is encouraging, though two more practices on Thursday and Friday remain before the team can feel fully confident about his availability.
“He looked good today,” Canales told reporters on Wednesday. “He’s got a little bit of soreness in his groin. He went out there, went through the full individual, took selective reps throughout the practice so it wouldn’t have been his full normal load of practice. But, pretty much he practiced the whole day.”
It was too early to hit the panic button on Monday, and it’s still too early to pop the confetti on Wednesday. However, Canales continues to be very optimistic that Brooks can make his regular season return for Carolina for the first time since 2024.
No one expects Brooks to be a bell-cow player right out of the gate. If he’s indeed active, the Panthers can get creative with how they utilize his speed and change-of-pace ability alongside Chuba Hubbard and bruiser back A.J. Dillon. If Carolina has that full trio available, the group can attack Chicago’s defensive front in a variety of ways during Week 1 and be smart with how they feature Brooks in his return.
“He’s a guy who just makes plays in space down the field in the pass game, the screen game, and the home run speed,” Canales said. “Once he sets an angle, all of a sudden you see people start turning and realize he’s moving a lot faster than you think he is because he’s such a smooth, long strider. You don’t realize that. So, it’s a factor. It’s a pretty special dynamic in that regard.”
Pat Jones II’s absence creates some questions on the edge
On the defensive side of the ball, edge rusher Pat Jones II missed practice again Wednesday after also sitting out Monday. After practice, Canales said he does not expect Jones to play this week and is week-to-week moving forward.
Jones was projected as a starter on the Panthers’ unofficial depth chart opposite high-priced free agent Jaelen Phillips. Carolina brought Phillips in to be an X-factor and an elevator off the edge, but getting the most out of him requires having a strong edge player on the other side.
The Panthers are already without Nic Scourton, who tore his ACL earlier in training camp and is out for the entire season. Jones was expected to step into that role, but with him continuing to be sidelined, attention turns to second-year edge rusher Princely Umanmielen as a potential Week 1 starter opposite Phillips.
Umanmielen had a solid preseason, including impressive tape opposite Phillips in the Buffalo Bills preseason Week 2 game. He showed he can be a capable running mate on the other side of that defensive front.
Carolina also made a depth move Tuesday, signing outside linebacker Jeremiah Moon to the practice squad and releasing Cam Gill. Beyond Phillips and Umanmielen, the Panthers also have Travis Gipson and Thomas Incoom as depth options off the edge for that defensive front.
