Brooks suffered his second ACL tear in 2024, which forced him to miss the entire 2025 season, but now he's on the comeback trail.
It has been a long and arduous time for former Texas Longhorns running back Jonathon Brooks over the past couple of seasons.
After tearing his ACL in his final college season, when he played 11 games and produced 1,139 yards and 10 TDs, Brooks found his way to the Carolina Panthers as a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
A great moment no doubt.
But the football gods had other ideas, as Brooks suffered another torn ACL in December of his rookie season after playing three games, having nine rushing attempts for just 22 yards.
It forced Brooks to miss the entire 2025 season for the Panthers, as you couldn't find a worse way to begin an NFL career.
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But Brooks, despite being handed a difficult path to begin life as a pro, has put his head down and is now back as the Panthers have begun OTAs.
And he's looked good.
Yes, I get it, it's OTAs, but to have Brooks out on the field and participating in drills is good news for Longhorns and Carolina fans.
Chase Justice of WYFF News 4 posted a clip of Brooks on X that saw the running back with a sleeve over his left leg as he caught a little swing pass from Bryce Young.
Granted, in the grade scheme of things, this isn't groundbreaking, but given the poor luck Brooks has gotten over the past two years, I'd imagine he's just happy to be on a football field doing drills.
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Injuries have taken a lot from him over the past couple of years, and now Brooks appears to be in a good space as the Panthers begin their offseason workouts.
Brooks getting on the field is half the battle, and in truth, he's likely not thinking about anything else other than being able to do football-related things.
His spot on the depth chart is interesting with Chuba Hubbard, A.J. Dillon, and Trevor Etienne all in the mix.
Where Brooks lands is anyone's guess as the Panthers are likely to be cautious with their young running back given his injury history, but right now, it's all systems go for Brooks, who has been dealt a brutal hand by the football gods.
Hopefully, the former Longhorns star can put his injury woes behind him and showcase his talent in a Panthers team some think is destined for the postseason in 2026.
