As the Carolina Panthers look to improve on last year's season by taking the next step in the playoffs, they made some additions they hope will help.

Winning the NFC South was fun but now, the Panthers have to win a playoff game and prove they are ready to be contenders. While the defense improved with some free agent signings, the offense hopes to have improved through the draft.

But there's also another addition that was already on their roster — the return of running back Jonathon Brooks. 

He suffered a serious knee injury at the end of 2024 which caused him to miss all of 2025. Brooks is back this offseason, participating in minicamp and OTA's, which shows he's healthy. 

After losing Rico Dowdle, there's a opportunity for Brooks to step in and have a big role right away. One analyst believes he will end up being the biggest x-factor for the Panthers in the 2026 season. 

In his latest article, FOX Sports' Ben Arthur wrote on X-factors, and he named Brooks for the Panthers. Here is what he wrote on Brooks and being the X-factor for the Panthers: 

Brooks, a 2024 second-round pick, missed the entire 2025 season due to an ACL tear. If he's healthy and lives up to his draft slot, it would take a tremendous amount of pressure off Bryce Young in a pivotal year for the quarterback and the Panthers. There’s a void in Carolina’s backfield after the free-agent departure of Rico Dowdle, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season.

Brooks has been limited to just three games in his NFL career so far, but could he make that big of an impact right away? With Chuba Hubbard also getting playing time, the hope is the duo can bring a good rush attack for the offense.

Having that could go a long ways in shaping the offense as a whole and taking less pressure off of quarterback Bryce Young. If Brooks can stay healthy, he has the potential to really make a difference this season.