Carolina Panthers rookie running back Jonathon Brooks left Sunday's 22-16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles with pain in the right knee that he spent 12 months rehabbing after suffering an ACL injury during his senior season at the University of Texas.
Brooks went down in the first quarter without contact at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field. He limped to the sideline and spent time in the medical tent before being carted to the locker room. He did not return.
Coach Dave Canales said there is pain in the knee and the team plans to do "much more imaging before we can make an explanation on what's happening.
"It certainly is scary for him, scary for all of us."
Brooks tore the ACL on Nov. 11, 2023, in a 29-26 Longhorns victory over TCU. The Panthers, who fell to 3-10 with their third straight close loss, still felt good enough about Brooks to select him in the second round of the 2024 draft.
Brooks spent all of the preseason and the first nine games rehabbing the injury before making his NFL debut three games ago in a 30-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He had two carries for 7 yards in that game and six for 18 the following week in an overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while playing behind Chuba Hubbard.
He injured the knee against Philadelphia on his only carry that resulted in a loss of 3 yards.
Hubbard went on to gain 92 yards rushing on 26 carries, eclipsing 1,000 yards for the first time in his career and the first time for a Carolina back since Christian McCaffrey accomplished the feat in 2019.
Backup running back Raheem Blackshear also left the game with a chest injury that required a trip to a Philadelphia hospital.
Quarterback Bryce Young had seven rushes for 29 yards and was one dropped TD catch by Xavier Legette in the final minute away from potentially leading Carolina to an upset victory.