The Carolina Panthers picked up a big bounce-back win against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, putting together another 30-point performance behind an offense that continues to impress through two weeks.

One concern emerged from the victory, though, involving Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks, who left the game early with a groin injury and headed back to the locker room with the training staff before the final whistle.

After the game, Panthers head coach Dave Canales confirmed the injury is a re-aggravation of the same groin issue that sidelined Brooks from practice ahead of Week 1. Carolina will evaluate his injury throughout the week on a day-to-day basis.

Another setback for Jonathon Brooks after a long road back

This is a frustrating development for Brooks, who was eager to get back on the field after finally coming back from his second torn ACL he suffered back in 2024. That injury forced him to miss the remainder of that season and the entire 2025 season. The last thing anyone wanted to see was Brooks go down with another injury after finally coming back.

“He’s been through so much, not just these last few years but overall,” Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard said. “The one thing about him is he’s resilient. It’s just a bump in the road. He’ll be back from it like he always is. He works hard. One of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen.”

Thankfully, it appears to be a short-term issue based on Canales’ comments. Still, the early returns on Brooks’ 2026 season so far have been modest. Through two games, he has carried the ball just nine times for 30 yards with two receptions. The highlight was a 48-yard wheel route completion in Week 1, but his other catch went for a loss of five yards on Sunday against the Falcons.

The Panthers envisioned Brooks as a dangerous, explosive weapon out of the backfield. That one play in Week 1 flashed what he can be, but it hasn’t shown up consistently. He’s still getting his feet wet, but this setback certainly throws a pause in those plans for him.

The bigger problem: Carolina’s run game needs to find its footing

Brooks’ injury is only part of a larger issue for the Panthers’ backfield. While the offense has thrived through two weeks under offensive coordinator Brad Idzik’s play-calling, posting back-to-back 30+ point outings, the success has been driven almost entirely by the passing game.

The deep ball has been working, quarterback Bryce Young has looked more comfortable with his wide receivers, and has more command of the offense than he did a year ago. The run game, however, hasn’t found strong footing.

In Week 1, the Panthers did total 125 rushing yards, but 34 of those came from the quarterback position between Young and Kenny Pickett. Chuba Hubbard managed just 49 yards on 10 attempts in that game. Week 2 was a similar story, with Hubbard grinding out 53 yards on 12 carries. And the penalties have left a lot of meat on the bone for some of those rushing opportunities.

“We found some explosive plays, but we wouldn’t know what our run game was going to look like because of the penalty situation,” Canales said on Monday. “It’s something that we hit right now and the guys are going to continue to hit in the individual rooms. All of that stuff is technique and fundamentals.”

This is a pass-heavy offense so far, and while it’s encouraging to see the Panthers trust Young through the air, the best thing Carolina can do is build a well-balanced attack. Teams are eventually going to tighten down on the explosives in the passing game and force the Panthers to beat them on the ground. That’s when being balanced as an offense becomes critical.

Chuba Hubbard and AJ Dillon will carry the load

With Brooks sidelined, the Panthers still have options to get that done. Hubbard has plenty of experience as a workhorse back and will see an even larger role moving forward. AJ Dillon is also in line for more involvement as the primary spell back. The Panthers believe Dillon can be a complete, well-rounded back, and he has the experience and talent needed to be a legit factor in the run game.

Getting the ground game going is the next step for this Carolina offense. The passing game has masked the issue through two weeks, but that cover won’t last forever as defenses adjust and the Panthers will need to establish something on the ground.