Panthers' Jonathon Brooks: Practice window won't open yet

Panthers head coach Dave Canales said Monday that the team won't designate Brooks (knee) to return to practice this week, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Brooks started the regular season on the reserve/non-football injury list, which makes Week 5 his earliest possible return date, but Carolina hasn't cleared the rookie second-round pick to resume practicing. Per Sheena Quick of Fox Sports Radio 1340, Canales said Brooks is in the "final stages" of his recovery from a right ACL tear sustained in his final collegiate season at Texas that prevented him from taking part in the Panthers' offseason program. Once he's designated to return, a 21-day practice window will open for Brooks, and with Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders both currently running well, the Panthers have little need to hurry the rookie along.