CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The highly-anticipated NFL debut of a Carolina Panthers running back could be on the horizon.
Rookie running back Jonathon Brooks was placed on the Panthers' active roster ahead of Carolina's matchup with the New York Giants in Munich, Germany on Sunday. Brooks has missed the entire season with an injury since he was drafted in the second round of this year's draft out of the University of Texas.
Panthers head coach Dave Canales confirmed that Brooks would be on the team's roster for Sunday but said his actual status for the game will depend on how he performs in practice this week. Brooks was listed as a full participant in Wednesday's injury report.
Brooks suffered a torn ACL in a Texas game against TCU on Nov. 11, 2023. He rushed for over 1,100 yards and scored 10 touchdowns before his college career ended abruptly. The Panthers chose Brooks in the second round hoping he could emerge as a star once he heals from his injury.
Canales initially believed Brooks would be back by Week 3 or 4 but the recovery time has extended into the second half of the season. The Panthers opened Brooks' 21-day practice window on Oct. 16, meaning Wednesday was the deadline for Brooks to either be activated or ruled out for the rest of the season.
The Panthers average 101 yards rushing per game, which is 25th in the league. Chuba Hubbard leads the team with 665 yards rushing, which is fifth in the league. Hubbard's 73.9 yards rushing per game is 13th in the league. Running Miles Sanders is a distant second on the team with 134 yards rushing.