The Carolina Panthers are being urged to target this AFC running back with the latest injury news.
The Carolina Panthers entered this season hoping that Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks would be their duo in the backfield. A strong run game can really help out quarterback Bryce Young and the offense early on.
While Young is still off to a fantastic start through the first two weeks, the Panthers running back situation is a little murky.
The team is set to place Brooks on Injured Reserve just a few days after he left the Week 2 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Brooks will need surgery to repair a core muscle and he will be out at least six weeks per a report. That puts a dent in the Panthers' backfield plans moving forward.
It's the latest injury for Brooks who suffered a torn ACL in college and then another torn ACL at the end of his rookie season that forced him to miss all of 2025. Brooks fell in the 2024 NFL Draft due to the injury and the Panthers had hope that he could contribute in the offense. He only played 23 snaps going into this 2026 season.
But now, the Panthers are being urged to look elsewhere for some help.
Should Carolina Panthers target Kamini Vidal?
Bleacher Report's Moe Moton put out an article that suggested the Panthers attempt to acquire Los Angeles Chargers running back Kamini Vidal. Moton noted that Vidal has excelled in a lead role and racked up a career high 643 rushing yards and three touchdowns last season when Omarion Hampton went down.
Pairing up Hubbard with Vidal could bolster the backfield for the Panthers, which has been the weak spot early on in the offense.
Vidal is currently third on the Chargers depth chart at running back so he may want to see some more playing time for himself. Carolina would provide that right away.
As of now, the Panthers haven't made any moves in the backfield. They still have veteran A.J. Dillon who should see an uptick in his reps but he's a different style runner than Hubbard is. With the trade deadline being on November 10th, the Panthers could see how this all plays out before making a move. It's still very early in the NFL season which gives them some time.
However, if they feel like there is an upgrade to be made at the position, don't be surprised if general manager Dan Morgan gets aggressive in the coming weeks.
