Three weeks after returning from an ACL tear, Jonathon Brooks reinjured his knee.
The rookie Carolina Panthers running back slid to the turf and limped to the sideline with a non-contact knee injury in Sunday’s 22-16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. On Monday, the team announced that Brooks had torn the ACL in his right knee.
The injury is a major blow to the promising rookie the Panthers selected out of Texas in the second round of April’s draft.
The injury occurred in the first quarter and the game was scoreless. Brooks slid to the turf after being cut and was clearly in pain. He tried to walk to the sideline, but fell again before he made it.
Brooks was one of the best running backs in college football in Texas and was considered a potential first-round pick. He tore the ACL in his right knee last November and fell to the Panthers in the second round (No. 46). Even with his injury, he was still the first back off the board in the draft.
Brooks sat out Carolina’s first ten 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 after his professional debut, Brooks faces another lengthy absence.
With Brooks injured, Hubbard returns to the whistleblower role as Carolina starts at running back.
