Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks remained in a monitored phase Monday, working off to the side with trainers rather than taking a normal share of team practice as the Panthers began Week 1 preparations for the Chicago Bears.
Brooks was seen doing some running, an encouraging distinction from being completely shut down, but the continued side work keeps his availability among Carolina’s key questions entering the opener. The Panthers have described the issue as general soreness and have not identified a specific new injury.
Head coach Dave Canales had expressed strong optimism last week that Brooks would be available for Week 1. After Monday’s practice, however, Canales was more cautious publicly, indicating the team would continue taking the situation day by day.
Brooks is moving, but he is not back to normal practice yet
The central point in Monday’s update is the difference between rehabilitation activity and full football participation. Brooks was able to run, which is better than a complete shutdown, but he was still separated from the normal team workload.
That means Carolina has not yet reached the stage where Brooks’ Week 1 role can be treated as settled. The Panthers’ first official injury report will carry more weight because it will classify his participation and begin the normal progression toward a Sunday game designation.
For now, the most reasonable reading is that Carolina remains cautious rather than alarmed. There has been no report of a fresh structural injury, and Canales’ earlier optimism has not been replaced by a declaration that Brooks is unlikely to play. But given Brooks’ history, the Panthers have every reason to avoid turning ordinary soreness into something more significant.
His injury history makes every workload decision important
Brooks’ situation naturally draws more attention than a typical early-season soreness issue because he has already endured two major right-knee ACL injuries in a short span. He tore the ACL while at Texas and then suffered another tear late in his 2024 rookie season. The second injury wiped out his entire 2025 campaign.
He returned to football activity this offseason, was cleared for training camp and appeared in two preseason games. That represented a major step in a recovery process that had kept him away from meaningful NFL action for most of his first two professional seasons.
Because of that history, Carolina’s medical and coaching staffs have more information to balance than simply whether Brooks can tolerate a practice on a given day. The Panthers need him available for the season, not merely for the first Sunday. A conservative approach in early September can be rational even if Brooks believes he could push through a manageable level of soreness.
What Brooks’ status means for Chuba Hubbard and the backfield
The Panthers do not need Brooks to carry the offense by himself. Chuba Hubbard remains a proven option and gives Carolina the flexibility to bring Brooks along without forcing an immediate featured workload.
If Brooks is active against Chicago but limited, the most realistic outcome would be a shared backfield in which Hubbard handles the larger workload and Brooks is used selectively. That could mean early-down rotation, specific pass-game packages or a snap count designed to get him through his first regular-season action since 2024.
If Brooks cannot play, Hubbard’s projected volume would rise and the Panthers would need to lean more heavily on the rest of the running back room. Either scenario matters for Bryce Young and the offense because Carolina wants the run game to reduce obvious passing situations and keep the offense on schedule.
The Panthers do not have to decide Monday
Week 1 injury stories can become exaggerated because every practice receives more attention after the long offseason. Carolina still has multiple days to evaluate Brooks, and the first official report does not arrive until midweek.
The key indicators will be whether Brooks moves from side work into individual or team periods, whether the Panthers list him as limited or full, and whether Canales’ language becomes more confident as the game approaches.
There is also a difference between being active and being fully unleashed. Even if Brooks is cleared to play, Carolina could still manage his snaps. The opener is only the first step in a 17-game season, and the Panthers have strong incentive to avoid making one game more important than Brooks’ long-term availability.
What comes next
Monday did not produce a major setback, but it also did not close the question. Brooks is running, the Panthers remain hopeful, and Week 1 is still in play. Until he returns to a normal practice workload, however, his status deserves to remain on the watch list.
For Carolina, the ideal progression is simple: side work early, a controlled return to practice, no setback and a defined role by the end of the week. If that happens, Brooks can finally begin the 2026 season as part of the Panthers’ backfield rather than as another rehabilitation story.
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