Nov 24, 2024 11:58 am: Brooks (knee) is active for Sunday's game against the Chiefs, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.
Analysis: Brooks had been listed as questionable heading into the weekend, but his availability for Sunday was never in any peril after head coach Dave Canales said Friday that he running back was ready to make his NFL debut. A 2024 second-round pick out of Texas, Brooks missed the Panthers' first 10 games of the season while completing his recovery from a torn ACL suffered last November. He had been activated from the non-football injury list Nov. 6 and has been a full participant in practices for weeks, so Brooks should be capable of handling the top backup role behind starting running back Chuba Hubbard. Before landing on injured reserve this week, Miles Sanders (ankle) had been serving as Carolina's No. 2 option in the backfield and averaged 5.9 touches per contest, but given the draft capital invested in him, Brooks could match or surpass that level of usage, especially if the Panthers want to lighten Hubbard's workload a bit.