It’s generally not a good sign of your roster construction when the best player on your team is a running back. That said, there’s nothing wrong with having an elite running back. The Carolina Panthers are certainly in no position to complain about their situation at this location. Fourth-year guard Chuba Hubbard has a star currently ranking third in the NFL in rushing yards this season behind longtime superstars Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley.
While he’s never been a bad running back, Hubbard’s level of success this season is a pleasant surprise. He could even be a candidate for his first Pro Bowl nomination, according to Kevin Patra on NFL.comwhich named Hubbard among its Pro Bowl sleepers for 2024.
“Check just about any running back metric in 2024, and you’ll find Hubbard’s name nestled among the perennial Pro Bowlers. Hubbard ranks third in rushing yards (818), fifth in carries (161 ), tied for eighth in rushing touchdowns (six), fifth in rushing completion rate (56.5) and sixth in yards per game (81.8). Among RBs with at least 100 carries this season, Hubbard ranks third in rushing yards over expectation (214), fourth in rushing yards over expectation per carry (1.4), first in percentage. of races above expectations (49.4%), fifth in racing EPA (0.8), fifth in first downs (40) and tied for second in first downs compared to expectations ( Seven).”
Hubbard of course has to give a lot of the credit to Carolina’s offensive line. While he has legitimate ability, this stellar season wouldn’t have been possible without a huge step forward in the group’s run blocking. That being said, Hubbard stands out in any context.
It would be absurd to deny that Hubbard won his recent contract extension – and it’s also reasonably priced considering its performance. That said, the Panthers will face a problem if they start giving Jonathon Brooks time and he is proving to be something special as well. If that’s the case, Carolina could opt to trade one of them and try to fill out the rest of the roster with the return, or they could adopt that old 1-2 dynamic that would easily overshadow any previous combo in franchise history, and that’s a pretty high bar. To be continued…
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