Dave Canales expects rookie RB Jonathon Brooks to make his NFL debut this week

Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks will make his long-awaited NFL debut Sunday against the Chiefs.

Brooks spent the first half of his rookie year rehabbing from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee. He injured his knee in a Nov. 11, 2023, game against TCU in his final season at Texas.

“I fully expect JB to make his debut this week against the Chiefs,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said, via Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer. “Again, we have some practices to go through to make sure that we’re ready to go there.”

Miles Sanders, who has served as Chuba Hubbard's backup, won't play this week after being carted off the field in Germany with an ankle injury. Sanders is week-to-week, Canales said.

The Panthers will not have the second-round pick on a snap count.

“We’ll have a game plan for how to play him,” Canales said. “But we’re not really looking for a specific number. That’s the whole thing, right? When you get a guy ready to play on Sunday, the confidence should be that he can go out and just play a normal football game. And so that’s what we want to make sure happens.

“It was the same thing with DJ Wonnum last week. Jordan Fuller. Are these guys ready to play a full game? It’s not like practice where we can really control and manage the pitch count, if you will, but we feel good about his progress. And just looking forward to a great week from him.”