Carolina Panthers' Bye Week Placement is Bad News for One Key Player

Jonathon Brooks got dealt the short end of the stick because of Carolina's Week 5 bye.

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (24) walk on to the field before the game | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers have a rough schedule, but they got dealt a brutal blow with the bye week placement. They're off in Week 5, which is the earliest any team can be off. The rest of the NFC South got it much better.

This is bad news in general. It means the Panthers will have to go a long time during a playoff push without a week to rest and recalibrate. It's particularly bad news for one player, though. Recovering running back Jonathon Brooks.

Jonathon Brooks is in danger thanks to Panthers' bye week schedule

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (24) tries to get off the field after being injured | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Jonathon Brooks is said to be cleared for action now, so when training camp starts, he will participate. Unless something else goes wrong, he will be the backup running back (and maybe even the starter) when the regular season rolls around.

He has barely been on the field in the two seasons since he was drafted, but those few moments showcased an explosiveness that the Panthers have been missing. It looked like the Panthers had a really great second option behind or alongside Chuba Hubbard.

If he can get back to that level, the Panthers' offensive outlook is a whole lot stronger. Having two good, dependable running backs is valuable, especially when one might offer a slightly different skill set than the other. Unlike Rico Dowdle, Brooks is not super similar to Hubbard.

That's where the schedule-makers did Brooks no favors. Obviously, he's not yet played a full NFL season. In college, the most games he ever played in one season was 11 in his final year before getting hurt.

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (24) during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Obviously, the usage didn't lead to a noncontact knee injury like that, but it is worrisome. His knee's been repaired surgically twice now, and it'll have to hold up to a much more strenuous season. The bye week for Carolina is as early as possible in Week 5.

That means Brooks will have to survive 13 weeks in a row without a break. He's never done that before. Of course, he will probably have a lighter load with RB2 duties, but that means the Panthers' offense won't be as good as it could be.

A bye week in the middle of the season helps everyone, but it would be most beneficial for Brooks, so his knee could get a rest right in the middle of a grueling season.