Who Should I Start? Kene Nwangwu or Jonathon Brooks

Friday, March 14, 9:48 PM

The New York Jets re-signed running back/kick returner Kene Nwangwu (hand) to a one-year deal worth up to $2.5 million on Friday, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Nwangwu will return for his second season with the Jets and is currently the No. 4 RB on their depth chart behind Breece Hall, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis, so he's once again unlikely to make much of an impact in 2025. Last year, he was only active for two games and didn't see any involvement on offense, although he did have a 99-yard kickoff return in Week 13 on special teams. The former fourth-rounder (119th overall) by the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 out of Iowa State spent his first three years in Minnesota and had 27 carries for 88 yards and no touchdowns, adding six catches for 30 yards. Nwangwu ended the year on Injured Reserve with a hand injury in 2024.

Thursday, May 8, 1:14 PM

The Carolina Panthers placed running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) on the Physically Unable to Perform list on Thursday, meaning he will not play at all in the 2025 season, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Brooks tore his right ACL in Week 14 of his rookie season in 2024, his second ACL tear in as many years. The 21-year-old didn't make his NFL debut until Week 12 last year and played in just three games before unfortunately suffering another ACL tear. In his three games with Carolina, the second-rounder (46th overall) out of Texas had nine carries for 22 yards and caught all three of his targets for 23 yards. It's been a tough last couple of years for Brooks, who probably will never be the same runner he was before tearing his right ACL twice. The Panthers will move forward with Chuba Hubbard, Rico Dowdle and rookie Trevor Etienne as their RBs in 2025.