of Carolina Jonathan Brooks missed his third straight practice with “general soreness,” but Panthers coach Dave Canales remains hopeful the team’s new defender will be ready for Sunday’s season opener against Chicago Bears.
Brooks spent time working side-by-side with the trainers Monday as his teammates went through a short, incomplete practice.
“We have to keep taking it one day at a time,” Canales said. “He ran out there today. We’ll see (where he is) and compare that to what he looked like before and we’ll go from there.”
Canales said last week that he was “very optimistic” that Brooks would be able to play in Week 1.
Brooks has missed 31 of 34 regular-season games since joining the Panthers, but the team remains high on his potential and believes he will be the perfect starter fill-in. Chuba Hubard if he can stay healthy.
The Panthers finished 19th in the league last season, averaging 116.3 points per game. They will face a Bears defense that allowed 134.5 yards per game last season, which ranked 22nd in the league.
“He’s a guy who just makes plays in space on the field in the passing game, the screen play, and he’s got that home run speed,” Canales said.
Canales said Brooks’ speed can be deceiving.
“Once he sets a corner, all of a sudden you see people start to turn and realize he’s moving a lot faster than you think he is because he’s such a smooth, long runner,” Canales said. “You don’t understand that. So it’s a factor. It’s a pretty special dynamic in that regard.”
Brooks was not made available to reporters Monday during the team’s open locker room session.
Panther guard Damien Lewis said he likes Brooks’ ability to hit the hole quickly, saying he makes things easier on the team’s forwards since they don’t have to hold their blocks as long.
“He’s really explosive,” Lewis said. “When he gets that ball, he sees space, he’s gone. So, you know, I call it a play action.”
Reporting by the Associated Press.