They must handle the running back’s situation correctly.

Jonathon Brooks is a talented player. The running back looked well on course for potential Heisman Trophy consideration before his momentum was brought to an abrupt halt in 2023. His torn ACL was a devastating blow, but it didn’t put the Carolina Panthers off from identifying the prospect as a high-priority target during the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Panthers traded up to land the former Texas star at No. 46 overall in the draft. They knew it might be a slow burn considering the need to take every precaution during his rehabilitation. That looks to be the case after Carolina placed Brooks on the active/non-football injury list to begin training camp.

This shouldn’t have come as a great shock. The Panthers are giving Brooks all the time he needs to get healthy. If that takes longer than anticipated, so be it. But they cannot jeopardize this investment by throwing him into the fire ahead of time.

Carolina Panthers are taking the right approach with Jonathon Brooks

Although it’s no doubt frustrating for Brooks, he acknowledges the need to keep the bigger picture in mind based on comments via the team’s website. He’s also confident that when the time is right to be formally unleashed, he’ll know.

“I don’t want to rush it back. I believe in the plan that I have with the strength coaches, the rehab people, the training staff. So I think to be honest, it’s really just a feel thing. I feel good. But just really just having long talks to God, making sure I know when the time is right. You kind of just have to look at your future. Like my running back coach says, Rome wasn’t built overnight. You’ve kind of just got to look at yourself as somebody who wants to play the game for a long time. I just have to know that for me to have patience is going to help me further my career, especially with this injury because if I try to rush it back, I get hurt again, then it could potentially affect the rest of my career. So I just have to look at it as a bigger picture.”

– Jonathon Broooks via Panthers.com

Brooks can be activated at any time. Hopefully, that will be sooner rather than later. It’s also worth remembering that the Panthers have the likes of Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders, Raheem Blackshear, and Rashaad Penny to pick up the slack until the first-year pro gets medically cleared.

Recuperation from an ACL tear used to be a significant ordeal. It’s a little easier these days thanks to the advances in rehabilitation techniques, but it’s still a precarious situation the Panthers and Brooks must manage with care.

He’ll be chomping at the bit to get involved. Brooks is a genuine three-down threat with a running style that’s sure to excite Carolina’s long-suffering fanbase. Even when he does get the go-ahead to resume football activities, erring on the side of caution remains the preferred course of action.

Dave Canales plans to run the football heavily as part of his new offensive schematic concepts. It seems for all the smart money as if this might be a committee approach, but don’t be surprised if Brooks quickly rises to the No. 1 spot once he reaches optimum fitness levels.

When that’ll happen is moot. Just so long as it eventually does.