Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks missed his third consecutive practice Monday due to what the team described as general soreness, but head coach Dave Canales says he remains hopeful Brooks will suit up for Sunday’s season opener against the Chicago Bears.
Brooks worked on the side with trainers while the rest of the team ran through a short, non-padded practice. “We have to just keep taking it one day at a time,” Canales said. “He ran out there today. We’ll see (where he is) and compare it to what he looked like before and we’ll go from there.”
Last week, Canales said he was “very optimistic” Brooks would be ready for Week 1. Brooks was not made available to reporters during Monday’s open locker room session.
Injuries have plagued Brooks since he arrived in Carolina, with the running back missing 31 of the team’s 34 regular-season games. Despite that track record, the Panthers still view him as a potential difference-maker who could pair well with starter Chuba Hubbard if he can stay on the field.
“He’s a guy who just makes plays in space down the field in the pass game, the screen game, and he has that home run speed,” Canales said, adding that Brooks’ running style can fool defenders. “Once he sets an angle, all of a sudden you see people start turning and realize he’s moving a lot faster than you think he is because he’s such a smooth, long strider. You don’t realize that. So, it’s a factor. It’s a pretty special dynamic in that regard.”
Panthers guard Damien Lewis praised Brooks’ quickness through the hole, saying it eases the burden on the offensive line since blockers don’t have to sustain their assignments as long. “He’s really explosive,” Lewis said. “When he gets that ball, he sees the space, he gone. So, you know, I call him one play action.”
Carolina finished 19th in the league in rushing last season, averaging 116.3 yards per game. The Panthers will open against a Bears defense that allowed 134.5 rushing yards per game last season, a mark that ranked 22nd in the NFL.
