Brooks (soreness) working to side Wednesday

Now we know what Brooks has been dealing with for the past week or so. Beginning the week with a limited session is a good sign regarding his Week 1 availability, but obviously we hope to see him practice fully as soon as possible, given his extensive injury history. He could end up rotating in behind RB Chuba Hubbard if active.

Head coach Dave Canales declined to provide an update on Brooks’ status Monday after saying last week that he was “very optimistic” that Brooks would play in Week 1 against the Bears. The Panthers won’t release their first official injury report until Wednesday, which should give us a better idea of where things stand for Brooks in the season opener. The 23-year-old back has had a strong training camp and is expected to split work with Chuba Hubbard if active. Both RBs should be viewed in the RB3 range for Week 1 if active.

Brooks is dealing with some soreness that the team hasn’t elaborated on any further. It’s likely maintenance for a player who has barely played any football over the past two seasons, but this is still a situation for fantasy managers to monitor. With Chuba Hubbard back at practice after missing time with a hamstring issue, we’re likely looking at a backfield by committee in Week 1. Both backs will be stuck in the RB3 ranks versus Chicago.

The team’s plan, per Graziano, is for Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks to split carries this season. That comes as little surprise. “If Hubbard stays healthy, he’s the one in whom they’ve built up more trust, so I’d expect him to be the one the Panthers lean on to try to grind out games when they have the lead,” Graziano said. “The split should be pretty close, but it would not be a surprise at all to get to the end of the season and see that Hubbard got the majority of the work.” Brooks on Tuesday practiced to the side while Hubbard (hamstring) practiced in full. It’s a concerning situation for those who have gone in on Brooks as Carolina’s lead back.

We’re not sure what Brooks is dealing with but his practice status will be something to monitor in the coming days. Chuba Hubbard, meanwhile, is practicing in full after missing weeks with a hamstring issue. Brooks headed into 2026 with a chance to be the Panthers’ lead back after fighting back through a series of catastrophic injuries. Carolina’s backfield could prove frustrating for fantasy purposes this season.

Hubbard is still working his way back from a hamstring injury that has sidelined him since mid-August, but if the 27-year-old back is good to go, he is expected to see work alongside Jonathon Brooks, who seems to finally be healthy after an injury-plagued start to his first three years in the league. An RBBC situation would be a pain for fantasy managers to navigate during the early part of the season, but if it comes down to it, hopefully we will get an early sense of how Canales plans to deploy both backs so we can better understand their viability for fantasy purposes.

Brooks played 11-of-13 plays over the Panthers’ first two drives, giving way to RB Trevor Etienne on a 3rd-and-4 play. Brooks subbed right back in after that and punched in a one-yard touchdown two plays later. With RB Chuba Hubbard (hamstring) currently sidelined, it’s tough to draw a complete conclusion, but as things currently stand, Brooks looks like the featured running back in Carolina. Hopefully, he can refine his pass protection and remain on the field for third downs at some point.

It was his first game action in 20 months. The Panthers’ offense, playing their starters three series, looked dead on arrival against the Bills on Saturday. But Brooks did start with Chuba Hubbard sidelined, validating the training camp drumbeat that he’d be in the mix early. He’s at least an interesting bench option in standard leagues at this point, and could perhaps turn into more.

Canales told reporters that Hubbard is expected to be ready for Week 1, but the team will “be smart about it.” Jonathon Brooks will make his preseason debut this weekend and has already turned heads in the opening weeks of training camp. Hubbard’s absence will give him an even cleaner path to touches early in the year. Brooks is currently going as the RB30 in Best Ball drafts and has already flipped Hubbard. His ADP is all but guaranteed to reach the stratosphere after this news.

It looks like Canales wants to see Brooks — who missed 2025 with a knee injury — in live game action during Carolina’s second preseason game. Hubbard is expected to mix in as well. Neither running back is likely to see more than a handful of touches against Buffalo. Brooks has impressed during training camp, with no restrictions coming off the serious knee injury.