The Panthers are placing Brooks on the physically unable to perform list, ruling him out for the entire 2025 season.

EDGE Analysis

Players can return from the PUP list when placed on it at the start of training camp or before Week 1, but not if they get the designation this early in the offseason. Brooks tore the ACL in his right knee each of the past two years, bringing his college career to an early conclusion and then limiting his rookie season to three games. The Panthers took him in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 46th overall, but they'll now move forward with Chuba Hubbard, Rico Dowdle and Trevor Etienne as the main candidates to take carries in 2025.

Carolina placed Brooks (knee) on injured reserve Tuesday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

Brooks' move to IR was fully expected after the 2024 second-round pick suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during Sunday's 22-16 loss to the Eagles. The setback is a devastating one for the 21-year-old running back, who tore a ligament in the same knee last November during his final collegiate season at Texas. Brooks didn't make his NFL debut until a little over a year after suffering the first ACL tear, so he'll almost certainly open the 2025 season on IR and may not be ready for game action until late in the campaign. He appeared in just three games for Carolina as a rookie, carrying the ball nine times for 22 yards and recording three receptions for 23 yards on three targets.

Panthers head coach Dave Canales announced Monday that Brooks suffered another tear of his right ACL during Sunday's 22-16 loss to the Eagles and will miss the remainder of the 2024 season, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Brooks will undergo surgery to address his ACL re-injury, per Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer. The rookie second-round pick had to be carted off the field in the second quarter of Sunday's loss after sustaining a non-contact injury. The development is brutal for Brooks, who made his NFL debut and returned from IR just three games ago, ultimately playing only 23 offensive snaps in his rookie campaign. Brooks now will face the task of rehabbing from his second ACL tear in 13 months, with both injuries having occurred in the same knee. With Raheem Blackshear (chest) dealing with an injury of his own, Chuba Hubbard remains in line for a clear workhorse role out of the backfield heading into a Week 15 matchup against the Cowboys.

Coach Dave Canales said after Sunday's 22-16 loss at Philadelphia that Brooks will undergo further testing on his right knee to determine the extent of his injury, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

Brooks remained on the turf after getting injured in the second quarter and needed a cart to get to the locker room. Per Canales, Brooks has pain in his right knee, but no diagnosis has yet come to light. Fellow RB Raheem Blackshear suffered a chest injury Sunday, leaving Chuba Hubbard as the only healthy player at the position on the Panthers' active roster.

Brooks was forced out of Sunday's game against the Eagles with a knee injury, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

Prior to being carted off the field, Brooks carried once for minus-3 yards. With Raheem Blackshear having sustained a chest injury during the contest, Chuba Hubbard remains available to handle Carolina's backfield duties versus Philadelphia.

Brooks rushed the ball six times for 18 yards in Sunday's 26-23 overtime win against the Buccaneers. He added three receptions on three targets for 23 yards.

EDGE Analysis

Brooks wasn't all that impressive with his rushing opportunity, but he saw his carry total jump from two to six in his second pro game. He was also much more effective as a receiver, highlighted by a shifty 18-yard catch and run late in the first quarter. While Brooks is unlikely to overtake Chuba Hubbard to lead the Carolina backfield, it appears clear that he will continue to carve out a role moving forward.

Brooks rushed twice for seven yards in Sunday's 30-27 loss to the Chiefs.

EDGE Analysis

The 2024 second-round pick from Texas made his NFL debut in Sunday's loss but didn't see much offensive work, playing behind the NFL's fifth-leading rusher, Chuba Hubbard. Brooks' longest rush was four yards in the fourth quarter, and he will likely continue to see limited offensive snaps given Hubbard's current level of production. However, the rookie running back's role could expand as he becomes more familiar with Carolina's offense over the course of the season. Expect Brooks to serve as the Panthers' No. 2 running back in a Week 13 matchup against the Buccaneers.

Brooks (knee) is active for Sunday's game against the Chiefs, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

Brooks had been listed as questionable heading into the weekend, but his availability for Sunday was never in any peril after head coach Dave Canales said Friday that he running back was ready to make his NFL debut. A 2024 second-round pick out of Texas, Brooks missed the Panthers' first 10 games of the season while completing his recovery from a torn ACL suffered last November. He had been activated from the non-football injury list Nov. 6 and has been a full participant in practices for weeks, so Brooks should be capable of handling the top backup role behind starting running back Chuba Hubbard. Before landing on injured reserve this week, Miles Sanders (ankle) had been serving as Carolina's No. 2 option in the backfield and averaged 5.9 touches per contest, but given the draft capital invested in him, Brooks could match or surpass that level of usage, especially if the Panthers want to lighten Hubbard's workload a bit.

Panthers coach Dave Canales said Friday that Brooks (knee) "absolutely" will play Sunday against the Chiefs despite technically being listed as questionable on the final injury report, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.

EDGE Analysis

Canales said Brooks wouldn't be on a "pitch count" in the event of an injury to Chuba Hubbard, who is still viewed as "the starting point" of Carolina's backfield, per Sheena Quick of Fox Sports Radio 1340. It remains to be seen if Brooks will have a larger role than what's typically been handled by Miles Sanders, who will be inactive for the first time this season due to an ankle injury. Hubbard's impressive season means the Panthers don't have any incentive to put Brooks in a large role for his first football game since suffering an ACL tear at Texas last November.

Brooks (knee) practiced fully Wednesday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

Brooks was a full practice participant during the entirety of preparations prior to the Panthers' last game Nov. 10 against the Giants in Munich, but Carolina ultimately included him on its inactive list for Week 10. Following the team's Week 11 bye, Brooks remains without restrictions in practice, and head coach Dave Canales told Steve Reed of the Associated Press on Wednesday that he has "high hopes" for the running back making his NFL debut Sunday against the Chiefs. Brooks likely will take a back seat to Chuba Hubard initially, but the rookie second-round pick should have some involvement on offense as a change-of-pace option behind the starter.