Tim Weaver, Panthers Wire
Sat, June 20, 2026 at 4:00 PM UTC
NFL analyst names surprising x-factor for Panthers in 2026
If things are going to go right for the Carolina Panthers this year, they’ll need several key players to step up and perform. At the top of the list is quarterback Bryce Young, followed by key free-agent pickups Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd, as well as second-year players Tetairoa McMillan and Nic Scourton.
One analyst has a very different name in mind, though. Ben Arthur at FOX Sports has tabbed running back Jonathon Brooks as the team’s biggest x-factor for the 2026 NFL season. Arthur writes:
Brooks, a 2024 second-round pick, missed the entire 2025 season due to an ACL tear. If he’s healthy and lives up to his draft slot, it would take a tremendous amount of pressure off Bryce Young in a pivotal year for the quarterback and the Panthers. There’s a void in Carolina’s backfield after the free-agent departure of Rico Dowdle, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season.
It’s an interesting pick, and entirely possible it will come true—especially if projected starter Chuba Hubbard is unable to get back to the level he was playing at in 2024 before his late calf injury. 2025 saw Hubbard rush for just one touchdown and 3.8 yards per carry, possibly leaving the door open for Brooks to take over.
Brooks could become the team’s best hope of reinvigorating their run game—which also happens to be the best-possible way that they can support and protect Young.
Since a pair of ACL tears have limited him to just three NFL games, we have very little to go on regarding Brooks’ ability at this level. However, his size and athleticism do give him a ceiling that’s higher than any other running back on Carolina’s roster right now—so long as he is 100-percent healthy.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers RB Jonathon Brooks named team’s x-factor for 2026 season