The Carolina Panthers Running Back room will be one to watch during this upcoming season. One person to watch will be Chuba Hubbard, the fourth-round draft pick in 2021 out of Oklahoma State.
According to an ESPN article, don’t be surprised if Chuba Hubbard leads the team in rushing yards. Hubbard will likely split reps with Jonathan Brooks, the 2024 second-round draft pick out of Texas.
“I know, it’s not what fantasy managers who have been excited to draft Jonathon Brooks want to hear,” Dan Graziano wrote. “But the Panthers like Hubbard a lot — as a runner, as a locker room leader, as many things. They’re excited about Brooks, but his health history means they will be extremely careful with him. He offers a lot of potential and explosiveness, but only if they can keep him on the field.”
Hubbard’s Career With Carolina
Chuba Hubbard has had a subpar career with the Carolina Panthers with his best year coming in 2024.
“Hubbard recorded career highs of 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns during (Jonathan) Brooks’ absence in 2024, but he was slowed by a calf injury last season that eventually cost him his starting role,” Doric Sam wrote in a Bleacher report article. “He finished with just 511 yards and one rushing score while splitting carries with Rico Dowdle, who signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency.”
Now that Rico Dowdle is with Pittsburgh, this could be Hubbard time to remind everyone who he is as the starting running back for the Carolina Panthers.
“That’s why, to my understanding, the plan is for Hubbard and Brooks to split carries this season,” Graziano wrote. “If Hubbard stays healthy, he’s the one in whom they’ve built up more trust, so I’d expect him to be the one the Panthers lean on to try to grind out games when they have the lead. The split should be pretty close, but it would not be a surprise at all to get to the end of the season and see that Hubbard got the majority of the work.”
Bryce Young’s Prove It Year
In other news, Bryce Young is entering a contract year which means his future as the Carolina Panthers’ starting quarterback may be in jeopardy.
From getting benched for Andy Dalton to leading the Panthers to the playoffs last year, Young is looking to pick up where he left off.
His rookie deal, signed in 2023, is a four‑year, $37.96 million contract with a $24.6 million signing bonus, giving him a 2028 free agent status, according to Spotrac.
Bryce Young took a step forward in 2025. Young played 16 games in the 2025 NFL season. He threw 3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Expect Young to play with a sense of urgency.
“Young has shown a lot of improvement since being benched early in the 2024 season, and he played well down the stretch last season as the Panthers won the NFC South and lost a close game to the Rams in the wild-card round of the playoffs,” Graziano wrote. “Both publicly and behind the scenes, the Panthers have maintained their belief in Young and focused their past two offseasons on finding ways to build out the group around him to give him the best possible chance to be successful.”
Panthers Running Back Receives Bold Prediction Entering Season