The Carolina Panthers were not only in the basement of the NFL, but also looked to be deep in the pits of professional sports entering Week 3. They had just benched 2023 No. 1 overall selection Bryce Young for backup quarterback Andy Dalton while owner David Tepper received a national onslaught of criticism.
And now, on the other side of that nightmare, the team has rocketed to an absolute high following their 36-22 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Carolina’s win can be attributed to the usual keys of victory for any team: their quarterback passed for over 300 yards and three touchdowns, their offensive line imposed their will and their secondary played at a high level.
That triumph, however, would not have come without the success of fourth-year running back Chuba Hubbard. Heck, they wouldn’t have grabbed their only two wins of the 2023 season without him.
Before reaching the NFL, the Oklahoma State University star was a one-cut runner and one of college football’s most productive backs. Yahoo Sports staff writer Nate Tice, formerly of Bleacher Report, scouted Hubbard prior to the 2021 draft—and noted that he was a “smooth athlete” with a number of flaws to his game:
Hubbard lacks adequate lateral quickness and the ability to make defenders miss in tight spaces, preferring to simply outrun defenders to the edge. He does display some vision and patience but has below-average contact balance and doesn’t consistently play with a competitive edge or toughness, going down to side and shoestring tackles too easily.
Hubbard also struggled as a true three-down rusher for the Cowboys, showing inconsistencies as a pass catcher and in pass protection. Those negatives were obvious in his rookie season for the Panthers, especially in his lack of core strength and contact balance—as he often seemed to fall at the slightest misstep.
Yet, that was not the end of the story for Hubbard. He continued to push forward.
In his second year, he and D’Onta Foreman would shine in the rushing game’s bruising one-two punch under interim head coach Steve Wilks. Then, in his third campaign, Hubbard claimed No. 1 duties quite early on in—standing out as one of the very few highlights in a lowly 2023.
2024 is proving much of the same in the way of growth and development for the 25-year-old.
The contact balance issue is now a strength, as he bounces off would-be tacklers. His flaws as a third-down back are now one of his bright spots, as he shows natural pass-catching hands and much-improved discipline and technique in protection.
It all showed Sunday in Vegas, where he rushed for 114 yards on 21 carries and reeled in five catches for 55 yards and a score. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, his total of 33 rushing yards over expected was the second-highest of his career, as he forced eight missed tackles and displayed his improved creativity and lateral quickness as a runner.
Hubbard’s progress should be appreciated, especially with the instability he’s faced in just four years with the Panthers. He has become one of Carolina’s top players, and should be recognized as such.
As head coach Dave Canales is expected to be stubborn with the run game under improved quarterback play moving forward, Hubbard’s productivity is likely to increase. It wouldn’t come as a surprise if he finishes up his first contract with the Panthers as a Pro Bowler.
