Jonathon Brooks is about to get a larger look with the first group because Chuba Hubbard is out week to week with a hamstring injury. Dave Canales said Brooks and Trevor Etienne will split the work with the starters Saturday against the Bills, and AJ Dillon also will be ready.
That matters now because the Panthers are trying to map out their backfield before the regular season opener, and Hubbard’s absence changes the rep count immediately. Brooks has not played since his second ACL tear in Week 14 of the 2024 season, which left him out all of last year while he recovered.
Canales said Hubbard felt something grab during one-on-ones on Wednesday and went for an MRI. The coach later described the injury as “a legit hamstring” and said the team would treat it carefully, with the hope that Hubbard is ready for game one. That puts Brooks in line for more work with the first group in the short term, even if the Panthers are not locking him into a full-time role yet.
The opening for Brooks is real, but it is not a clean handoff. Hubbard is still the starter when healthy, and Canales said Brooks, Etienne and Dillon should get most of the work with the first group. That leaves the Panthers preparing multiple backs at once rather than handing the job to one player while Hubbard recovers.
Brooks has been waiting for this kind of chance since his knee injury ended his 2024 season before it could really start. Saturday against the Bills will not settle the depth chart, but it should show how much of the early load he can handle while Hubbard works back and the Panthers keep the rotation flexible.
