After overcoming consecutive ACL injuries, former Longhorns star Jonathon Brooks is dazzling Carolina Panthers coaches with his versatile playmaking as he prepares to ignite Bryce Young’s offensive attack.
Former Texas Longhorns running back Jonathon Brooks has finally been left alone by the football gods, and he's loving it.
After suffering two ACL injuries, one in college and one in the NFL, Brooks has barely been sighted since being drafted by the Carolina Panthers.
For Brooks, who plays a position that already has a short shelf life in the NFL, that isn't ideal, but the former Longhorn has made great strides this offseason as he looks to finally make his mark.
Already impressing at OTAs, Brooks has been under the watchful eye of trainers as they try to avoid pushing him too hard too early in the offseason program.
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Given how little football he's played, that makes sense, and Brooks has already been one player this offseason who has made his teammates take notice of his talents.
And there is head coach Dave Canales, who will be looking to pair Brooks with Chuba Hubbard to give the offense a star one-two punch.
As OTAs have continued, Canales gave his thoughts on what he's seen from Brooks so far.
“Half of his highlights when he was coming out (of Texas) are screen passes, wides, things down the field. He has a great ability to catch the ball, track it and transition once he catches it,” Canales said via The Athletic's Joseph Person. “Just finding different packages and ways to get him involved in the offense. He’s looked great so far.”
So, it is clear that Canales and the Panthers are happy with the progress Brooks has made, but let's be honest, there is a lot of water to go under the bridge this offseason.
Yes, Brooks is off to a great start, but the franchise will be cautious with the running back, as they need a full training camp with Brooks to see how he acclimates to the long, hard days of physical pressure.
There is a clear plan for Brooks too.
He won't just be a one-trick pony out of the backfield. Canales has a plan to make Brooks a dual-threat weapon for Bryce Young.
But to be that, he's got to be on the field. So yes, Brooks is off to a great start, and we hope that Panthers fans can see what Longhorns fans saw from Brooks in the years to come.
