Dave Canales Provides Confusing Jonathan Brooks Injury Update for Week 12

Sometimes it can be nice to overlook large-scale strategy decisions and just have fun enjoying watching exciting football players. Was spending a second-round pick on Jonathon Brooks a smart move for a rebuilding team? How does Chuba Hubbard's contract extension impact that? Shaking those nagging thoughts, Brooks' impending NFL debut is still a moment full of excitement for Carolina Panthers fans.

But the Panthers are making it awfully hard to get excited about it. It makes sense that they're being cautious with him as he recovers from a torn ACL, but even with that in mind his return has been a strange process to follow. He practiced in full ahead of Week 10, but then ultimately didn't play.

You would think that was just a case of the team using the bye week to get him some extra time to get up to full speed. But on Thursday Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer quoted head coach Canales on Brooks' Week 12 status, and the response didn't make a whole lot of sense.

"Jonathon Brooks put together another great day," Canales said about Wednesday's practice. "Really high hopes [emphasis mine] for him playing this Sunday."

"Really high hopes"? This guy has now spent three weeks practicing at full speed. You are the head coach. How can you not yet know for certain whether he will play or not? What could come up between now and Sunday that would change his status? If he's on such shaky ground that a couple more days of practice could be disastrous enough that we won't play, then you wouldn't have him going in the game anyway.

Of course, this is the same head coach who has repeatedly refused to commit to his obvious starting quarterback to try to keep his opponents guessing. Maybe this is just another case of Canales wasting time focusing on playing mind games with his opponents.

Panthers fans can probably expect Brooks to play, but also that he's going to have a pretty limited role for his debut. Hopefully he's able to do enough with those touches to erase some of the concerns fans have around his draft stock and the running back-heavy building of this offense.

Of course, a matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs won't do him any favors. KC ranks No. 3 in the NFL, allowing just 3.6 yards per carry to opponents and PFF has them ranked No. 4 in their team run defense grades.

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