Three weeks after returning from a torn ACL, Jonathon Brooks is injured again.
The Carolina Panthers rookie running back slipped on the turf and limped to the sideline with a non-contact knee injury Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. Finally they took him to the locker room on a cart. He Panthers ruled him doubtful return with a knee injury.
The injury is a blow to the promising rookie whom the Panthers selected out of Texas in the second round of April’s draft.
The injury occurred in the first quarter with the game tied at zero. Brooks slipped on the grass on a cut and was in obvious pain. He tried to walk to the bench, but fell again before making it.
Brooks was one of the best running backs in college football in Texas and was considered a potential first-round prospect. He tore the ACL in his right knee in November of last season and fell to the second round (No. 46) to the Panthers in April’s draft. Even with his injury, he was still the first running back off the board in the draft.
Brooks sat out Carolina’s first 10 games while recovering from his injury before making his NFL debut in Week 12 against the Kansas City Chiefs. He rushed eight times for 25 yards in two games while backing up Chuba Hubbard. Now, three games into his pro debut, Brooks potentially faces another extended absence.
With Brooks injured, Hubbard returns to serve as Carolina’s starting running back.