Tag: chuba hubbard

Dan Morgan, Dave Canales explain Jonathon Brooks’ place in Panthers RB room

Dan Morgan and Dave Canales spoke a bit about second-round pick Jonathon Brooks.

The running back room inside of Bank of America Stadium just got a little more crowded.

On Friday night, the Carolina Panthers nabbed who they believe is the top rusher in the 2024 draft class—selecting University of Texas standout Jonathon Brooks with the 46th overall pick. But with Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders already in tow, president of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan was asked how Brooks can fit in.

“We got a really good running back room right now,” Morgan said in his post-Day 2 presser. “When Dave [Canales] and I took this job, we said that we were gonna create competition in every position group, and it just so happened Jonathon was there and we took the opportunity to draft him and it’s gonna be a really competitive group and I’m excited to see them all compete during training camp and OTAs. It’s gonna be fun.”

If not for the ACL tear he sustained this past November, Brooks would’ve likely been off the board well before that 46th pick. Prior to the season-ending injury, the agile dual threat back rushed for 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns with 25 receptions and 286 receiving yards over 11 games.

Head coach Dave Canales was then asked why he believes Brooks was the right choice for their offense.

“Versatility—first and foremost,” he replied. “Our system calls for a back that can be used, of course, just in a traditional way—hand it to him. Then how can we get this player in space? Being able to get him in perimeter screens, checkdowns. We got a really cool empty package where we use the backs, flex them out to get matchups—things like that.

“He’s a bigger back, he’s got range. There’s so much that he brings from a versatility standpoint—that’s probably the biggest thing that stood out. And just vision, patience, contact balance, acceleration. Like, he’s got it all. He’s the best back in this class and we’re so fired up just to be able to bring him in and create that competition that Dan talked about.”

Morgan also stated that he expects Brooks to be ready for training camp.

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Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard: ‘I wanna win in Carolina’

Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard: “I wanna be one of the best tools for this team.”

Although he’s dealt with quite a bit of adversity, Chuba Hubbard has been one of the few constants for the Carolina Panthers over the past three seasons. But that time may only be a jumping-off point for the 24-year-old running back.

Hubbard spoke with reporters after Wednesday’s installment of voluntary minicamp. He was asked about his reflection on what was a standout 2023 campaign.

“In all honesty, I think in my confidence, just getting that back was a big thing for me—especially my body,” said Hubbard, who rushed for a team-high (and career-high) 902 yards this past season. “With the surgeries and stuff that I’ve dealt with, I’ve kinda varied with where my body’s been. Some people may look at it on the field and be like, ‘Oh, he has this, that going on,’ but it’s just a lot of health issues and stuff like that. So I think getting back to building up a good base, a solid base and then putting it all together—I think that was big for me.”

Hubbard, a fourth-round pick from 2021, stated that he had undergone double adductor and meniscus surgeries prior to his rookie season. He also went back under the knife on a double adductor procedure after that first year.

But with those setbacks behind him, Hubbard is looking to build off his health and his success.

“Man, I’m trying to get better in everything,” he added. “I wanna be one of the best tools for this team. I wanna win. I wanna win in Carolina. So, however that looks—me catching the ball, me pass blocking, running the ball—I need to be my best. So whatever it takes.”

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20 Valentine’s Day cards for the special Panthers fan in your life

Spread the love with our 20 Panthers-themed Valentine’s Day cards!

Still looking for that special something for that special Carolina Panthers fan in your life?

Well, look no further.

Let’s spread the love this Valentine’s Day with 20 Panthers-themed cards that friends, family members and/or significant others will absolutely fall for!

Panthers’ Chuba Hubbard ranked as top-25 RB from 2023 season

Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard got some love from a former All-Pro rusher.

If you thought Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard would be considered a top-25 player at his position by the end of 2023, it might be time for you to go play the lottery.

Former All-Pro rusher and current NFL.com analyst Maurice Jones-Drew just ranked each of the league’s 72 running backs who started at least one game this past season. In at No. 25 is Hubbard, who definitely didn’t start the year in that high of a regard.

Jones-Drew writes:

Hubbard went from backup to supplanting Miles Sanders as the Panthers’ RB1 in October, ultimately leading the team in carries and rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. The third-year pro was a bright spot in an otherwise-disappointing offense, and he should be excited about the addition of head coach Dave Canales for 2024.

2023 marked the second time in three seasons Hubbard has led the Panthers in rushing. Over 12 starts, he ran for 902 yards and five scores on 238 carries—all career-highs for the third-year back.

Those 12 starts came at the expense of Sanders, who had himself the worst campaign of his pro tenure. The fifth-year rusher, fresh off signing a four-year, $25.4 million deal last spring, recorded lows attempts (129) and rushing yards (432) while averaging 3.3 yards per carry—the third-lowest in the NFL amongst all qualifying players.

Sanders ranked 49th on Jones-Drew’s list.

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Every NFL team’s rushing leader from the 2023 regular season

Here is every team’s leading rusher from the 2023 campaign

A Carolina Panther led the entire NFL in rushing this past season!

Oh, wait . . . our apologies . . .

A former Carolina Panther led the entire NFL in rushing this past season!  So, congratulations to Christian McCaffrey, who is also just days away from playing on the game’s biggest stage.

Now, as we continue to put a bow on the year, let’s look back at each team’s leading rusher from the 2023 regular season.

Panthers named potential landing spot for free-agent RB Austin Ekeler

Would free-agent RB Austin Ekeler be a fit for the Panthers in 2024?

Well, maybe the Carolina Panthers can take another crack at signing another running back this offseason.

Pro Football Focus salary cap analyst Brad Spielberger recently identified his best potential landing spots for this year’s top free-agent running backs. When it comes to Los Angeles Chargers standout Austin Ekeler, who is ranked as PFF’s 56th-best free agent in the NFL, Spielberger believes there could be a fit in Charlotte.

He writes:

Carolina already has a one-two punch at running back in Chuba Hubbard and 2023 free agent addition Miles Sanders, who was effectively phased out of the offense and continued to have drops at inopportune moments. Sanders’ 2024 compensation is fully guaranteed, so it’s entirely reasonable to expect the Panthers won’t spend the limited resources they have at running back again. However, this would represent getting Bryce Young his Jahmyr Gibbs equivalent from his college days — a reliable check-down outlet who can take a ton of pressure off Young.

As Spielberger notes, the 2023 campaign wasn’t exactly a fantastic one for last spring’s big signing. Sanders hit career-lows in starts (five), attempts (129) and rushing yards (432) while averaging 3.3 yards per carry—the third-lowest in the NFL amongst all qualifying players.

Heck, Ekeler wasn’t in peak form either. He averaged a career-low 3.5 yards an attempt while scoring just six touchdowns—a steep decline from his 18 scores in 2022 and 20 in 2021.

But could the Panthers ignite their offense by taking a relatively cheap gamble on a proven pass-catching threat?

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Best and worst PFF grades from Panthers’ 2023 season

PFF’s best and worst grades for the Carolina Panthers in 2023

Pencils down, players!

With the 2023 test officially over, let’s see which Carolina Panthers received the highest and lowest grades from Pro Football Focus.

Panthers stats leaders from 2023 season

Final stats leaders from the Carolina Panthers’ 2023 season

Well, the Carolina Panthers produced all kinds of numbers throughout their 2023 season. But unfortunately, almost all of those kinds fell under one category—bad.

Nonetheless, let’s take a look at the team’s final stat leaders from the 2-15 campaign:

Studs and duds from Panthers’ Week 18 loss to Buccaneers

Derrick Brown was a big stud in a season full of duds for the 2023 Carolina Panthers.

Who shined and who struggled in the final game of the season?

Here are the studs and duds from the Carolina Panthers’ 9-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Key matchups for Panthers vs. Buccaneers in Week 18

Between his last two games against the Panthers, Buccaneers WR Mike Evans has totaled 17 receptions for 369 yards and four touchdowns.

Can the 2-14 Carolina Panthers match up against the playoff-hopeful Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Sunday’s regular-season finale?

Here are three key battles that’ll help determine who comes out on top, and possibly who comes out with the NFC South, in Week 18: