Brendan O’Sullivan analyzes whether Chuba Hubbard stole the Carolina Panthers’ starting running back job from Rico Dowdle.
The Panthers’ backfield is an intriguing situation. Chuba Hubbard was the lead back entering the season but due to an injury, Rico Dowdle stole the job.
Dowdle was so good in Hubbard’s absence that it was unlikely Hubbard would ever get the starting gig again — at least for the rest of this season. The former Cowboys’ running back rushed for 389 yards and one touchdown on 53 carries across two games. He also caught 7-of-9 targets for 84 yards and a touchdown.
Hubbard has 433 rushing yards through 11 games; Dowdle almost surpassed that in a two-game stretch. Of course this span was unsustainable, but it was enough shake up the starting lineup.
A few weeks later, and a similar script is playing out. Dowdle is the starter, but Hubbard had a strong showing in Week 13 that is making people question who deserves the starting role. Hubbard rushed for 83 yards on 17 carries in a 31-28 victory against the Rams. Meanwhile, Dowdle ran for 58 yards on 18 carries in the same contest.
Hubbard also caught two passes for 41 yards and a touchdown; Dowdle caught two for 21 yards. Hubbard played in 59.4% of snaps, while Dowdle played in just 42.2%. It’s a one-game sample size, but it’s a curious case because of what happened earlier in the season.
Another angle to look at is contract situations. Dowdle is on a one-year deal and is likely to hit free agency after this season. Hubbard is under contract through 2028. The Panthers could attempt to utilize Hubbard more to drive some offseason trade value, or they could be trying to lower Dowdle’s free agency value. The latter would allow Carolina to re-sign the running back on a cheaper deal.
Until last week, it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that Dowdle would be the RB1 in Carolina for the rest of this season. Now, that’s not as clear. Proceed with caution, fantasy owners.