Jonathon Brooks Injury Update: Panthers Avoid Major Bullet With Injury-Prone RB

The Carolina Panthers traded up for running back Jonathon Brooks in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft. At the time, he fell because he was still recovering from an ACL tear that cost him more than half that season.

Not long after debuting, Brooks tore the same ACL again, missing the rest of the year and all of 2025. Now, every time he is limited in practice or gets medical attention, Panthers Nation holds its collective breath.

Naturally, when Brooks was seen exiting the field with trainers and heading to the locker room at the end of the Panthers' 34-3 blowout win over the Atlanta Falcons, nerves skyrocketed.

Fortunately, though, it looks like the Panthers dodged a major bullet.

Jonathon Brooks' injury isn't his knee, and he should be fine

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (25) rushes during the third quarter | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When Jonathon Brooks is hurt, it's never a good thing. He was a little bit banged up in the preseason, and there was mass panic when he missed two days of practice with "soreness." It was an overreaction, but we've all been burned before.

The same sort of feeling crept in when Brooks exited Sunday's contest. It wasn't immediately clear what happened, and most people automatically thought of his twice-repaired knee. Fortunately, it's not that.

It was revealed later that it was the groin issue he'd been dealing with in preseason. It's still not good for an oft-injured running back to get hurt, but a groin issue is not nearly as scary as a knee issue for someone like Brooks.

"He was able to get back (from the initial groin injury) and really get rolling again. He bounced one to the left, coming toward our sideline and it got sore on him." https://t.co/XD9cmKDzfa
— Joe Person (@josephperson) September 20, 2026

Plus, head coach Dave Canales said after the game, "He was able to get back [from the initial groin injury] and really get rolling again. He bounced one to the left, coming toward our sideline and got it sore on him."

Ultimately, that sounds like he's going to be just fine. Other reports state he is "week to week," which is more concerning, but it doesn't sound like Brooks is going to miss a chunk of time. That's good news.

Brooks cannot seem to catch a break. Obviously, injuries have taken their toll on him, and he may struggle to stay on the field for his entire career. He is very talented and the Panthers have had high hopes for him.

It just hasn't worked out so well thus far, and while it's fortunate that Brooks isn't suffering another season-ending injury, he's got to figure out a way to stay on the field and be more of a piece of this offense.

Add us as a preferred source on Google