Canales Praises Jonathon Brooks as Panthers Open Training Camp
The coach’s endorsement and Rico Dowdle leaving for Pittsburgh create a clearer path for Brooks to earn meaningful touches if he stays healthy.
Overview
- Brooks was on the practice field for the Panthers’ first day of training camp on Thursday and drew visible praise from head coach Dave Canales, who said Brooks “looks like the guy that I remember.”
- Carolina allowed Rico Dowdle to sign with Pittsburgh after Dowdle led the team in rushing last season, a decision reporters say was influenced by team beliefs that Brooks could step into a lead role.
- Brooks is returning after two ACL tears that wiped out most of his rookie year and all of the 2025 season, and he enters Year 3 with just nine career NFL carries.
- The Panthers opened camp with Chuba Hubbard listed as the starter and Brooks projected as the primary backup, so Brooks’ carries will depend on his health, performance in padded practices and how the staff divides snaps.
- Brooks’ second-round draft status and coach comments underline the upside the team still sees, but his repeated knee injuries make durability the key question that will determine whether he reshapes Carolina’s backfield.