The Carolina Panthers are heading into their 2026 opener shorthanded on defense, with starting outside linebacker Pat Jones II ruled out for Sunday’s matchup against the Chicago Bears.
Head coach Dave Canales said Tuesday that Jones will not be available for the Sept. 13 game after a back issue surfaced in practice and tightened up on him. Canales said the problem is not connected to the back injury that ended Jones’ 2025 season early, describing it as an “aggravation of a different side of it.”
“We were able to get ahead of it, treat it,” Canales told reporters. “We do not expect him to play this week. But he’ll be week-to-week and we’re hoping that we can get him turned around pretty quickly.
“With those [previous] issues, we’ve got to be smart about this and make sure that we’re bringing him back with the right cadence and making sure he’s ready to go.”
Jones, 27, is entering his second season with Carolina after the Panthers signed him in free agency last spring. He joined the team after a career year with the Minnesota Vikings, when he posted seven sacks.
Without him, Canales said Princely Umanmielen, Trevis Gipson and Thomas Incoom should see bigger workloads on Sunday. Jones’ absence may also mean more pressure on Jaelan Phillips, who signed a four-year, $120 million deal with Carolina in March. Phillips, another outside linebacker, was widely viewed as the top pass-rusher available in the 2026 free-agent class.
The Panthers had one other notable injury update Wednesday. Jones was the only player who did not practice, while running back Jonathon Brooks and defensive tackle Bobby Brown were limited.
Canales said he was “very optimistic” Brooks would play and noted that the running back’s recent missed practices were tied to a groin injury. Brooks sat out all of 2025 while rehabbing his second ACL tear. His first came in his final college season at Texas, and Carolina drafted him in 2024 while he was still working back from that earlier injury.
The Panthers continue to view Brooks as an important piece of the backfield, where he is expected to share time with veteran Chuba Hubbard.
Brown, meanwhile, was dealing with back tightness, but Canales said he was able to practice Wednesday.
Carolina opens the season at home against Chicago at 1 p.m. Sunday, with the game set for Fox.
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