Report: Panthers' Brooks to miss at least 4 games on PUP list

The Carolina Panthers are leaving rookie running back Jonathon Brooks on the physically unable to perform list to open the season as he recovers from a torn ACL, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Edge rusher D.J. Wonnum will also open the season on the PUP list as he rehabs a torn quad, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Brooks suffered the season-ending injury in November of his final year with Texas. He'll miss a minimum of four games on the reserve list, including a road matchup with the division foe New Orleans Saints in Week 1.

The second-rounder is expected to lead Carolina's backfield once activated. Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders will share the majority of the team's running back snaps while Brooks is unavailable.

Brooks was one of college football's most explosive tailbacks prior to his injury. The 6-foot, 199-pounder rushed for 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 6.1 yards per carry in 11 games. He added 286 yards and a score on 25 catches.

Wonnum, meanwhile, joined the Panthers this offseason after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Minnesota Vikings. The 2020 fourth-rounder has tallied 23 sacks in 62 games, including a career high eight in 2023.