Panthers RB Jonathon Brooks (knee) said he’s been fully cleared to play in Carolina’s offseason program and feels “close to 100 percent.”

28 April 2026

The Panthers let Rico Dowdle walk in free agency and replaced him only with AJ Dillon in what could be interpreted as a sign of confidence that Brooks could play a real role behind Chuba Hubbard in 2026. Trevor Etienne is the other main player in Carolina’s backup RB derby. Brooks has lost most of his NFL career to date to a pair of ACL tears and while we’re hopeful he can come back, he should be approached skeptically for fantasy football purposes.