CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers posted a video from Monday’s OTA practice of Jonathon Brooks taking a handoff and zipping through the defense on his twice-repaired right knee. As of Tuesday evening, the clip had more than 540,000 views.Clearly, Panthers fans are eager to get a look at Brooks back in action.There weren’t many highlight-reel opportunities for Brooks on Tuesday. The third-year running back participated in individual drills and seven-on-seven work, but was held out of the team period. While Brooks has looked good during two weeks of OTAs, the Panthers continue to monitor him closely as he makes his way back from a second ACL surgery 17 months ago.“I’m behind the scenes doing a lot of work to make sure that I can be able to handle that workload,” Brooks said. “And I’m just doing my part, listening to the training staff, listening to the coaches and following their plan for me. And it’s been good so far.”For a franchise that saw Thomas Davis return from three ACL surgeries on his right knee, it’s natural for fans and observers to have a little trepidation when Brooks touches the ball. The second-round pick from 2024 played in three games as a rookie before re-tearing his ligament on a non-contact play at Philadelphia in December.Brooks missed all of last season as the Panthers snapped a seven-year playoff drought. And while he’s not yet back to full speed, he appears to be getting there.“I love J.B. He’s super quick. He’s getting in and out of his cuts. It’s ridiculous,” second-year edge rusher Nic Scourton said. “I’m excited to see him get back on the field, man. Battling through those injuries is tough, and he’s mentally stronger than a lot of people I know. He’s ruthless. So I’m excited for him to get the opportunity to get on that field. But he’s looked really good.”Brooks, whose final season at Texas was cut short by his first ACL injury, knows better than most how grueling and lonely the rehab process can be. But he didn’t experience that last season.“Honestly, I didn’t feel isolated at all,” he said. “I still felt welcomed to the team. I was still here in meetings, at practice every single day.”Brooks leaned into his Christian faith and the memory of his father to get through the tougher days. Brooks was a freshman in college when Skip Brooks died at 49 after a blood clot traveled to his heart on March 28, 2022. Brooks and his older brother, Jordon, both have the date tattooed in Roman numerals on their right forearms.Brooks said thinking of his dad motivates him and keeps things in perspective.“We all woke up today. There’s no reason to be down. There’s always a reason to be happy,” Brooks said. “I have a lot of reasons why I play the game. And for me, it’s my father. So to get on that field and not be myself, not be happy, I feel like I’d be doing myself and him a disservice.”The Panthers hope Brooks can replace Rico Dowdle in the backfield alongside Chuba Hubbard, who’s entering his sixth season. Brooks and Hubbard are close friends, but also fiercely competitive — to the point of arguing about who was taller during Brooks’ first season in Charlotte. Former assistant Jim Caldwell had to settle the argument.“We got different answers from different people,” recalled Brooks, who’s listed at 6 feet — one inch shorter than Hubbard. “Coach Caldwell, he said Chuba. But Chuba had cleats on that day and I had shoes.”The two backs have complementary skill sets. Hubbard is a physical, downhill runner who has worked tirelessly on the JUGS machine to turn himself into a reliable receiver. Brooks is a little shiftier, with home run ability as both a runner and pass catcher.“Half of his highlights when he was coming out (of Texas) are screen passes, wides, things down the field. He has a great ability to catch the ball, track it and transition once he catches it,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said. “Just finding different packages and ways to get him involved in the offense. He’s looked great so far.”While tackling is prohibited in OTA practices, Brooks said just going against the defense has taken some getting used to after his long layoff. Brooks also doesn’t think he’s hit his full speed yet, though he’s not sweating it.“It feels good being back out there, man. Just trusting in my journey that God has for me and not looking at other people’s journeys, other people’s injuries and be like, ‘Oh, he came back at this time,’” he said. “Just trusting in my process and really making sure that I feel 100 percent and I’m doing what’s best for myself in terms of rehab to get myself back out there.”Brooks said he couldn’t remember what his top speed was previously. But he was certain of one thing.“It’s up there,” he said. “Faster than Chuba for sure.”Jun 3, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms