Carolina Panthers rookie undergoes successful surgery after second major knee injury

Jonathon Brooks' surgery was successful.
Dec 1, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA;  Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (24) with the ball as Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea (50) defends in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Dec 1, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (24) with the ball as Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea (50) defends in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
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Jonathon Brooks tore the same ACL he had just recovered from a mere few weeks after his NFL debut with the Carolina Panthers. The rookie running back was a 2024 NFL Draft second-round pick and missed most of last season.

The rookie only played a handful of snaps before going down on a non-contact play, suffering perhaps the worst possible injury for him to sustain. It's hard enough to come back from one ACL tear, but two in the same knee is an even greater challenge. Fortunately, he has just passed the first step in recovery.

Jonathon Brooks undergoes successful knee surgery

Jonathon Brooks officially underwent his second ACL surgery in about a year last week. Per The Athletic's Joe Person, the 2024 rookie is expected to miss the entire season. He went down on December 8, but the recovery from a second tear like this is much harder.

The Panthers were extremely cautious in bringing him back, opting to let him have the longest possible time off the field before making his NFL debut. An ACL tear usually requires 9-12 months off, which would put Brooks coming back in December at the latest.

Jonathon Brook
Dec 1, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (24) during pregame warmups against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

However, that's near the end of the season, and that doesn't factor in that a second recovery like that in such a short time is uncommon. Even if he is ready to return after 12 months, that would likely include just a couple of remaining games, and it's probably not worth the risk to let him play those contests.

It's unfortunate, but Brooks will likely not see meaningful snaps until at least his third year in the NFL, so it's a good thing the Panthers extended Chuba Hubbard for the next four seasons.

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Zach Roberts
ZACH ROBERTS

Zachary is a graduate of Southern Adventist University. He earned a degree in Mass Communication with an emphasis in Writing and Editing. He has covered sports, video games, entertainment and is a lifelong Carolina Panthers fan.