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Jonathon Brooks is finally getting close to making his NFL debut.
Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said the team plans to open the 21-day practice window for the rookie running back.
Brooks, a second-round pick out of Texas, has spent the first six weeks of the season on the physically unable to perform list as he continues to rehab a torn ACL he suffered in November.
“We just had to take it in stride based on where he was at and his body readiness and his movements and those phases that you got to go through,” Canales said. “He just didn’t feel like he was ready to clear some of those early stages, so we just had to keep doing the smartest thing for Jonathon, first and foremost, and then think about the team and where he fits into the whole picture.”
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Dave Canales on the Panthers’ approach with Jonathan Brooks (team initially said they hoped he would be ready for start of training camp): pic.twitter.com/zsDk5YdA6h
The Panthers have little to show for through the first six weeks of the season, sitting at 1-5 with their sole win coming against the Las Vegas Raiders.
One of the only bright spots in Carolina’s season so far has been the breakout season from running back Chuba Hubbard, who has the third-most rushing yards in the NFL with 485 along with a pair of touchdowns.
Though Hubbard has had a great season, the Panthers’ rushing attack as a whole is average as they have just 668 rushing yards this season, which ranks 16th in the NFL.
With Brooks back on the practice field, now is a good time to evaluate his trade value in fantasy football.
While it’s hard to gauge a player who has yet to take a snap in the NFL, a look at Brooks’ collegiate numbers shows that he could be due for a big year once he is on the field. He had 1,139 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in 2023, good for the seventh-most in the Big 12 despite playing just 10 games.
Hubbard has been the star of the backfield for Carolina, but his 86 carries so far mean that he could start to lose some of his energy as the season continues. That would pave the way for Brooks to come in and start taking some of the burden off of him.
Brooks likely won’t take the starting job from Hubbard, but he’ll almost certainly be the RB2, giving him some trade value. You probably won’t get a star in return for Brooks, but you should consider trading him for a receiver or tight end if you’re already set in the running back position.
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