'BLESSING TO BE BACK'
Running back Jonathon Brooks 'getting out there' at training camp
Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Brooks (25) walks off the field during the first day of mini camp at the Bank of America Stadium practice facility in Charlotte on June 9.
NFL
Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks was finally able to put on his pads at an NFL training camp.
Tuesday's session proved to be another showcase for Brooks, who is progressing through his first healthy offseason as a pro. The 23-year-old put his speed and suddenness on display — as he did during spring workouts.
He was asked about the session afterward. "It felt good. It felt good to be back out there," Brooks stated. "I'm just trusting the process that the trainers and coaches have for me. And just ultimately, believing in myself throughout the whole rehab process. And it was a blessing to be back out there."
Between two ACL tears to his right knee, one from college and one from his rookie campaign, Brooks has been limited to just three games since being drafted back in 2024. After being sidelined for the entirety of the 2025 campaign, the former second-round pick seems likely to factor into the Carolina offense from the jump — even drawing whispers of earning a featured role down the line.
Perhaps that role is closer than some may think, as Brooks told reporters that he is moving without hesitation in his cuts.
"I feel like I'm back to 100 percent, getting out there, having fun with it," he later added.
Brooks is expected to share the workload out of the backfield — at least early on — with projected starter Chuba Hubbard. Hubbard, who is coming off an injury-riddled 2025, led the Panthers in rushing in three of the past five seasons.
Takeaways from first day in pad s
On Tuesday, the Carolina Panthers threw on their pads for the first time this summer.
Here are our top takeaways and observations from the team's latest outing of training camp ...
Some good injury new s
Headlined by the ACL tear to second-year outside linebacker Nic Scourton, the start of training camp brought repeated shots to the Panthers on the injury front. But they finally had some good news.
Cornerback Jaycee Horn was activated from the reserve/non-football injury list. He made a quick return, as expected, from a cut on his foot and participated with the rest of the team.
The Panthers also got back fellow starting corner Mike Jackson, who missed the last few sessions due to back tightness.
... and some more notso-good injury news ...
After watching Scourton go down last Thursday, Carolina had to roll out the cart again. This time, it was second-year tight end Mitchell Evans who was rolled off after he rolled his ankle.
Fortunately, perhaps, head coach Dave Canales seemed relatively optimistic about Evans after practice.
"They're testing him. It was an ankle injury. Rolled it up," Canales told reporters. "They're pretty optimistic, but we're gonna do a full evaluation just to make sure there's nothing happening in there. But they were pretty optimistic coming off the field."
Canales also didn't seem overly concerned about starting left guard Damien Lewis, who did not participate due to a calf injury. He expects Lewis to only miss a couple of days.
The fists fly
Unsurprisingly, the first padded session of 2026 training camp brought out a little extra aggression from the Carolina Panthers.
Canales, however, didn't seem to be a fan of his team's latest summer workout. He told reporters afterward that the practice was not up to par, and explained why.
"The physical nature that we play with, the way that we're just used to practicing — it just didn't start that way," Canales stated. "That was really the first period, and we had three team periods. Right in the middle of that period, I went right over to the defense and said, 'Hey, you guys drive this thing. We gotta show up, and everybody's gotta get to the ball.'
"And so, they took to the challenge and responded well ... but I want them to drive it. And they know what to expect. They know what to expect from each other. So I want them to make sure they take ownership of that part, and we'll remind them as coaches. But we gotta have it — that's the way this game is played."
Tuesday's outing featured a skirmish involving tight end Feleipe Franks. According to Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer, fists began flying during sevenon-seven drills — with the brouhaha seeing Franks' helmet taking flight, courtesy of cornerback Mike Jackson.
Canales was asked what he liked, or didn't like, about the fight.
"We always gotta push things to the limit," he replied. "This game is played with a lot of passion and a lot of aggression, by nature. And we're gonna be on edge. That's gonna happen in games. We can't cross the line, it just hurts the team. Personal fouls set you back, and 15 yards is huge.
"Day 1 — guys are fired up, words are said, that stuff happens. We just gotta make sure — you go to the line, you can't cross it. We had good conversations about it, and I don't think that'll happen again."
If it isn't to happen again, Panthers players must toe that line for at least another few weeks.
Panthers legends with big TV roles
Carolina Panthers legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Luke Kuechly may be ready to add another title alongside his name.
According to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, Kuechly will be the lead game analyst for Netflix's NFL coverage in 2026. The former linebacker, per Marchand, impressed executives during a recent tryout for the gig.
For his first assignment, Kuechly is set to join play-by-play commentator Ian Eagle on the streaming service's presentation of the Week 1 matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers. That NFC West clash will take place at Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia on Thursday, Sept. 10.
Before that, Kuechly will take his place in Canton, Ohio, as one of five inductees into the Hall of Fame on Saturday, Aug. 8.
But he isn't the only Panthers great set for an expanded presence on your screens this season.
Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports reported that former wideout Steve Smith Sr. is expected to have an increased role on ESPN's studio programming. Smith's bump comes with the NFL Network's increased exposure on the ESPN platform.
Smith, Carolina's alltime leading receiver, has been serving as an on-air analyst for multiple NFL Network shows since 2017.
Reporting is by Anthony Rizzuti, Panthers Wire / Panthers Wire for USA TODAY Network.
