Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Jonathon Brooks

Wednesday, October 15, 5:15 PM

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales wouldn't say for sure if running back Rico Dowdle will start on Sunday at RB against the New York Jets, but would only say that Dowdle "has earned the right to help this team and we will find a way (for him) to do that." Chuba Hubbard (calf) has missed the last two games, and in that time, Dowdle has amassed more than 400 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 60 total touches. At the very least, the 27-year-old has earned a backfield split with Hubbard, who could return this weekend after practicing on Wednesday for the first time since Week 4. Before Hubbard's injury, he was solid in his own right as the Panthers' starting RB. It's a good problem to have for Carolina. If Hubbard is back in Week 7, the backfield touches figure to be split more evenly, making things more cloudy for fantasy managers.

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.