Jonathon Brooks

Career StatsC-

Year	Team	GP	Yards	TD	YPC
Career		3	22	—	2.4
2024		3	22	0	2.4

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

This Jonathon Brooks deal is an absolute steal for Carolina, earning an A CVI that reflects exceptional value at the running back position. Locking up a serviceable starter at just $2.1M annually represents shrewd roster building in an era where even middling backs command $4-6M per year on the open market. The four-year structure provides the Panthers with cost certainty through Brooks' prime years, while the $6.2M in guaranteed money shows appropriate commitment without devastating downside risk. What makes this contract particularly savvy is the timing — Carolina identified and secured a productive contributor before his market value inevitably climbs, creating surplus value that can be redirected toward premium positions. This is exactly the type of disciplined spending that allows teams to build depth while maintaining flexibility for impact signings elsewhere.

Performance Analysis

Jonathon Brooks is a second-year back for Carolina, a former high-upside draft prospect whose career has been almost entirely derailed by injury. With just three games of NFL experience at age 22, he earns a C- grade — more projection than production at this stage. The Panthers are still waiting to see the player they drafted, making any true evaluation premature. The numbers from his limited action are difficult to contextualize but undeniably rough. His 2.44 yards per carry sits far below the NFL average of 4.10, and his 7.33 rush yards per game is a fraction of the league's 55-yard benchmark. Whether those figures reflect scheme, health, or true capability remains genuinely unclear given the tiny sample size. Brooks graded out at an F in 2024, but that snapshot carries an enormous asterisk given his injury history and limited reps. If he can stay healthy through a full offseason and training camp, his athleticism and college pedigree suggest a legitimate ceiling as a starting-caliber back. Watch his yards-after-contact and burst metrics in 2025 preseason — those will be the clearest early indicators of whether he can close the gap toward NFL-average production.

Current Sentiment

Jonathon Brooks enters the 2026 season as one of the more compelling human-interest stories in the NFC South, with multiple outlets highlighting his remarkable resilience after suffering two torn ACLs in his young career. The dominant media narrative heading into the season is unambiguously positive, centered on his reported near-full recovery and the personal faith journey that carried him through the loss of his father and repeated devastating injuries. Panthers beat reporters and national analysts alike have framed Brooks as a player whose moment may finally be arriving, lending him a level of goodwill and anticipation that far exceeds what his raw statistical profile would otherwise generate. His collaborative work with veteran back Chuba Hubbard has been portrayed as a healthy, complementary dynamic rather than a competitive threat, further softening any skepticism about his role on the roster. While Brooks remains an unproven commodity with minimal NFL production, the convergence of a clean bill of health, a powerful personal narrative, and genuine organizational investment has elevated his public perception well above that of a typical depth back entering a critical prove-it season.