CHARLOTTE — The silver lining, if one chooses to see it, is that Jonathon Brooks is extremely familiar with this process. He tore his ACL 13 months ago while at Texas, and spent the better part of a year working to get back on the field.

As most everyone who cares about the Carolina Panthers knows, Brooks spent two-and-a-half games in a Panthers uniform, before tearing the same ACL again this past Sunday while making a cut on an outside run.

"The first couple of days is a little rough, but then you just have to trust God's plan and know that He's doing this for a reason and that it's a brighter side on the other end," Brooks said Thursday, speaking for the first time since he found out the gravity of the prognosis. But that silver lining, again, is there and beginning to peek through.

"I've been through it before," Brooks reminded. "So, I know from experience what to do and what not to do and I just fully trust in God that He's doing this for a reason.

"There's a lot of that I didn't know the first time early on in my rehab process that I know now that I feel like will help. Just being around a good team, a good support system around here with my family being here."

Brooks hasn't been given any sort of timeline just yet, other than the presumed 9-12 months typically associated with an ACL rehab. He shared Thursday he has also not scheduled the surgery, waiting for swelling to go down.

The order of events—back-to-back tears on the same knee—can't help but make one question did the first injury cause the second? Brooks doesn't want to speculate too much on that, if for no other reason than speculating does no one any good.

"I feel like if anybody is as healthy as they can be, it's possible for anybody to tear the ACL off from any kind of plant," Brooks said. "It just happened to be me. It happened to be at that time. But you know, like I said, God's putting me through this for a reason and it will be for the greater good at the end."

Brooks credits his teammates, family, coaches and former Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis with surrounding him this week, making sure he's heard and supported.

Since then, the Panthers have had two practices since the news broke. Brooks has been at both of them, horsing around with Chuba Hubbard, picking on Raheem Blackshear, smiling through every piece of instruction from position coach Bernie Parmalee.

"I'm still a part of a team," Brooks said by way of explanation. "These are my brothers. I was out there playing with them just last week. So, for me to sit in here and mope about my own injury, I feel like that would be selfish.

"Just to get out there and still pay attention, still focus, still interacting with the team and still being out there and learning the plays and learning the scheme. I feel like it would be helpful for me in the long run, but just to show that I'm a team first type of vibe. I'm not going to stay inside the building and mope on my own."