CHARLOTTE There are few certainties in life or football, but one thing the Carolina Panthers know for sure is thatChuba Hubbardis the hardest worker in the building. No one puts in more hours, stays on the field longer, or demands more of themselves.
Yet according to Hubbard, there is someone who outworks him. It's been in silence, done on the periphery during a long arduous road to recovery.
Jonathon Brooks.
"JB is one of the hardest workers I've seen," Hubbard told reporters on Sunday. "He's a young cat. He's my dog. Obviously, unfortunate with how things go, but like I just told him after the game, the time is now, you got to get back to work and no looking back at what happened before or looking too far into the future. Just focus on now.
Brooks has been putting in work for months, albeit the kind that comes right after a debilitating injury like the one the running back suffered last November when he tore his ACL in Week 14.
"I mean, obviously it's like an emotional roller coaster, but you know, truthfully, I know that God has a plan for me and I know that he makes no mistakes and he's using my story to show the world the amazing things he can do, and so I'm set on that," Brooks shared Sunday, as he and teammates cleaned out lockers following the Panthers loss in the wild card round to the Rams.
Knowing and trusting in that plan is one thing, though. Waking up every morning and staying motivated for another day, defined by the monotony of rehab, finding the will to push forward when there is little light at the end of the tunnel.
"Well, I mean, there's definitely two components. When you're a believer, it's not just God's part. It's not just God's side of things; you have to go out, and you have to do. You can't just sit back and expect God to do it for you. You have to kind of meet him in the middle, trust that he has a plan, but you also have to put in the work," continued Brooks, a testimony to mind over matter.
"Like, I know I have to get up, and then the motivation for me is just getting up every day, saying my prayers, and then feeling a difference in my body and seeing the progress that I've made."
This was the second such ACL tear in a calendar year for the Texas product. The rehab from his first tear, suffered during his last year in college, meant his rookie debut was delayed. And then it was cut short, after just three games. During those three games (and one start), Brooks had nine carries for 22 yards, as well as three receptions for 23 yards.
But with hindsight that only comes after a defining moment, Brooks sees that first rehab as something that helped him better approach this current process.
"I think it kind of taught me a little bit of the dos and don'ts as far as rehab," explained Brooks. "There's some stuff that worked the first time that didn't work this time, and there's some stuff that I never knew about this time that I did, so it was a lot of good things.
"Since the first injurysounds pretty silly, but I mean, honestly, like I've just, my spirit, my energy, my just, my perspective of everything has just went through the roof and I'm super positive about everything that has happened."
And now, finally, he feels like he's gone from getting back to getting ready.
He's hopeful to be back on the field for minicamps, although that might be an ambitious goal. But the young back deals in ambitious goals, and while he's been relegated to the sidelines this season, he's seen enough to know what this team can do, and he's ready to be a part of it.
"I never lose focus of what the main goal is. I mean, our main goal is to win the Super Bowl right here, and I know it's going to take every single one of us, and this year just showed how far we can go, and I'm pretty excited about this group. I'm pretty excited about what we did this year, and I'm super proud of the guys and the staff," effused Brooks.
Brooks was able to see the shift in this team up close because he hasn't left the building since his injury. He's on the practice field almost every day, even if just watching from the boundary, talking to Hubbard,Rico Dowdle, andTrevor Etiennein between drills.
He's in the meetings, eating lunch with the guys, appointing himself host to any guests on game days, and spending that hour before kickoff playing catch with fans in the stands, just simply wanting to stay connected to the team that he holds dear.
"I think the competitor in me obviously wants to get out there and showcase what I can do and help the team, but the teammate in me is just super proud of what the guys did. The running back room performed really, really good this year. The team as a whole performed really good, and obviously it showed to where we got. So, I'm just super excited for the guys."
And the feeling is mutual.
As the Panthers head into the offseason, taking time to evaluate all that happened in 2025 and what it means for the future, Brooks' teammates, like Hubbard, are already looking forward to what's to come. Dowdle's a free agent, and if he doesn't return, it opens the door for someone else to contribute alongside Hubbard.
"I'll be an asset to him in every way possible I can be," promised Hubbard. "He's a great player, and I'm excited for him this year."
