Panthers Optimistic Jonathon Brooks Plays Against Bears Despite Practice Absence

Carolina’s Jonathon Brooks missed his third straight practice with “general soreness,” but Panthers coach Dave Canales remains hopeful the team’s young running back will be ready for Sunday’s season opener against the Chicago Bears. Brooks spent time working on the side with trainers Monday while his teammates went through a short, non-padded practice. “We have to just keep taking it one day at a time,” Canales said. “He ran out there today. We’ll see (where he is) and compare it to what he looked like before and we’ll go from there.” Canales said last week he was “very optimistic” that Brooks would be able to play in Week 1. Brooks has missed 31 of 34 regular-season games since joining the Panthers, but the team remains high on his potential and believes he will be the perfect complement to starter Chuba Hubbard if he can stay healthy. The Panthers finished 19th in the league in rushing last season, averaging 116.3 points per game. They’ll face a Bears defense that allowed 134.5 yards per game last season, which ranked 22nd in the league. “He’s a guy who just makes plays in space down the field in the pass game, the screen game, and he has that the home run speed,” Canales said. Canales said Brooks’ speed can be deceiving. “Once he sets an angle, all of a sudden you see people start turning and realize he’s moving a lot faster than you think he is because he’s such a smooth, long strider,” Canales said. “You don’t realize that. So, it’s a factor. It’s a pretty special dynamic in that regard.” Brooks was not made available to reporters on Monday during the team’s open locker room session. Panthers guard Damien Lewis said he likes Brooks’ ability to hit the hole fast, saying he makes things easy on the team’s offensive linemen since they don’t have to hold their blocks as long. “He’s really explosive,” Lewis said. “When he gets that ball, he sees the space, he gone. So, you know, I call him one play action.” Reporting by the Associated Press.