Brooks's groin puts Carolina's running back room in real trouble

Jonathon Brooks aggravated a groin injury in Week 2 against Atlanta, and the timing matters because there wasn't much behind him to begin with. The depth chart lists Chuba Hubbard behind starter AJ Dillon, with Anthony Tyus third. That's the room. Brooks was the one name that offered any optimism heading into the season, and now that's in question too.

Dillon's production this year has been thin — he's been getting carries, but the output hasn't been there. Without a credible complement, opposing defenses don't have much to account for on the ground. That makes life harder on Bryce Young, who already has a shaky offensive line in front of him with Taylor Moton still out indefinitely and multiple other linemen unavailable.

The running back situation was flagged as a concern before a snap was played in 2026. The offseason was consumed by fires elsewhere — Moton's blood clot, the linebacker depth, tight end — and the backfield never got addressed in any meaningful way. Brooks healthy was at least a conversation. Brooks banged up in Week 2 is just another item on a list that keeps getting longer.