Panthers finally get to unleash a weapon on the NFL that they’ve been waiting forever to fully deploy
Carolina Panthers are expected to play the starters in Saturday’s preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, which will include the long-awaited return of running back Jonathon Brooks.
The Carolina Panthers are getting the final days of practice and preparation wrapped up before going into their second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday and there’s going to be a lot more excitement around this game.
Head coach Dave Canales confirmed earlier in the week that the majority of the starters on both sides of the ball will get a few drives of action on Saturday, including quarterback Bryce Young. More importantly, Canales confirmed that running back Jonathon Brooks will be making his long-awaited return in a live game setting.
“Absolutely,” Canales said Wednesday when asked if Brooks will play on Saturday. “He’s in great shape. He’s ready to rock, he’s ready to play football. That’s just the next part of it.”
Saturday will mark Jonathon Brooks’ first ever preseason game and first game since 2024
The Panthers have been waiting a long time to see Jonathon Brooks back on the field in a live game. Saturday will mark Brooks’ first ever preseason game of his NFL career and his first game in action since Dec. 8, 2024.
Brooks has been a standout player all throughout the offseason and continued to impress throughout training camp once the pads came on. The electric burst has been on display, both as a runner and a receiver. Now, the Panthers can finally get to unleash him fully.
“He’ll play with the first group,” Canales added. “He’ll mix in and out with Chuba [Hubbard] and we’ll be able to get a good look at those guys with a couple of drives.”
Granted it is still preseason action and the Panthers will be cautious with Brooks’ usage, along with the rest of the key starters. But, there’s no underselling what this moment means to him, his teammates, and the entire organization.
What this moment means for Jonathon Brooks finally getting the chance to play football again
Since the Panthers drafted Brooks in the second-round of the 2024 NFL Draft, he has played in just three games. He missed the entire offseason and first 10 games of his rookie year while recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in college. Just three games into his NFL career, he suffered another torn ACL that forced him to miss the rest of the season and the entirety of the 2025 season.
“It’s been stressful,” Brooks admitted to Anish Shroff, via the team’s website. “But, it’s also been a blessing in disguise. For me to have these injuries, obviously it sucks from an outside perspective, but for me I’m using it as a lesson. I feel like it allowed me to learn a lot in the game of football, on the field and off the field, I really dug into my faith, I’ve never been as strong in my faith as I am now. I think that’s helped me become a better person and it’s helped me break habits, it’s helped me do everything in my everyday life to become a better partner, better teammate, and a better family member.”
It’s been a long road for Brooks to get back to this point and he’s now cleared every hurdle needed to get back on the field and prove what kind of weapon he can be for the Panthers’ offense.
“I feel like I’m back to my young self,” Brooks added. “Just out there playing free and not worrying about my injury. There’s times in certain situations I try to protect myself, but I think that will ease out as time goes on.”
Even if it’s just limited work on Saturday, I hope Brooks showcases the talent the Panthers have been waiting years to show off and hope he is met with a thunderous applause when he takes the field. I’m looking forward to seeing what this guy can do.
