Jonathon Brooks finally got the moment he’d been chasing for a long time.
On Friday night at EverBank Stadium, the Carolina Panthers running back scored the first touchdown of his NFL career, finishing a seven-play, 58-yard opening drive with a 1-yard run in Carolina’s 34-17 preseason win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. After crossing the goal line, Brooks touched the tattoo on his arm honoring his late father, James “Skip” Brooks, and then pointed to the sky.
The score was more than a preseason footnote. For Brooks, it marked the end of a long return from injuries that had kept him off the field for much of the last two years.
Carolina drafted Brooks 46th overall in 2024 after trading up to take the Texas back, who had rushed for 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns the previous season. He was already working back from an ACL tear suffered in his final college season when the Panthers brought him in.
He eventually got into three games late in his rookie year, then tore the same knee again, which wiped out his 2025 campaign as well. Sports Illustrated reported that Carolina placed him on the PUP list that September, and he did not play a snap all season.
Friday was only his second game back. Brooks had logged four snaps for 14 yards in Carolina’s preseason opener against Buffalo the week before, according to NBC Sports. With Chuba Hubbard ruled out, he got the start with the first-team offense against Jacksonville.
He made the opportunity count. On Carolina’s second drive, with 7:34 left in the first quarter, Brooks took the handoff from a yard out and powered in for the touchdown, his first in either a regular-season or preseason NFL game, per the Jaguars’ game report. He finished with five carries for 18 yards.
Afterward, Brooks said the moment meant a great deal to him. According to ClutchPoints, he described the touchdown as “pretty amazing” and pointed to his faith and the rehab process that brought him back.
“I know it doesn’t really count for the books, but for me, it’s everything,” Brooks said. “It’s something that me and my father have talked about since I was younger.”
Panthers.com reported that Brooks’ mother was in the stands, adding another layer to a night that carried plenty of personal weight.
The run game was central to Carolina’s plan, both because Dave Canales has said he wants the Panthers to be a run-first team and because the staff wanted to get Brooks live reps after he had played only 13 in-game snaps since tearing his ACL in December 2024 heading into Friday. The opening script gave him a chance to get touches and start knocking off rust before the games begin to count.
The offensive line helped clear the way. Starting guards Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt returned after missing the previous preseason game with injuries, and they, along with right tackle Monroe Freeling, helped create room for Brooks, including an 11-yard run on the same drive.
It wasn’t a flawless night for Brooks. He missed a pass-protection assignment on Carolina’s first possession, which led to Bryce Young taking a hit on an incompletion. But he answered a couple of drives later with the play that mattered most.
Carolina led 7-3 after the first quarter and then pulled away, outscoring Jacksonville 27-14 the rest of the way. Bryce Young, Kenny Pickett and Kyle Trask all saw time at quarterback.
A.J. Dillon added a rushing touchdown on five carries, while Casey Washington and Roc Taylor each caught touchdown passes.
The Panthers played without four defensive starters - Derrick Brown, Jaycee Horn, Devin Lloyd and Jaelan Phillips - and also sat wide receiver Xavier Legette as a precaution after he was rolled up on in Wednesday’s joint practice. Even with those absences, Carolina controlled the game from the second quarter on.
Carolina will finish its preseason at home against the Houston Texans on Aug. 28. For Brooks, the touchdown won’t count in a regular-season box score, but after two ACL tears and a full season lost to rehab, getting back into the end zone was the real victory.
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