The Carolina Panthers’ backfield shifted on form and health rather than contract status. After signing a reported four-year extension in 2024 worth about $33.2 million, Chuba Hubbard opened 2025 as the lead back but hit a midseason calf issue and admitted he rushed his return.

In that window, Rico Dowdle surged into a feature role and has held it on production. The staff’s posture has been consistent: Ride the hot hand, reassess usage weekly, and lean into what’s working as the Panthers push through November.

Why Was Chuba Hubbard Benched?

Hubbard missed Weeks 5-6 with a calf injury and returned in Week 7, acknowledging he wasn’t where he wanted to be.

“I think, in all honesty, like, I’m a competitor and when I came back from my calf, I wasn’t maybe quite where I wanted to be… I just want to be there for my team, so maybe rushed it back a little sooner than I should have, which is my own doing. I mean, I’m bad at that. I’ve always been,” he said.

Hubbard added the leg was complex: “Maybe just feeling a little off… I had a few different things going on with it… kind of hard to explain some of the stuff that I was dealing with.” His Week 7 output (26 carries for 65 yards and a TD) contrasted with the other back’s 133 yards on 25 carries, and the staff tightened Hubbard’s role thereafter.

The demotion coincided with the team’s focus on tempo and sustaining drives, and the head coach publicly framed distribution in terms of weekly form. Carolina has rotated backs at times, but recent usage trends show Hubbard’s attempts dropping sharply since Week 9 while the starter’s workload escalated.

The contract does not dictate carries; the club’s “prove it in practice, confirm it on Sunday” pattern has kept touches tied to health and production.

How Rico Dowdle Became Panthers RB1 Option

Dowdle’s pivot from complementary to featured back began in Weeks 5-6 with back-to-back burst games, 206 rushing yards against Miami and 183 against Dallas, plus receiving work (56 yards against Dallas).

He took 472 scrimmage yards across those two weeks, a franchise record for a two-game span, then later cemented RB1 with 130 yards and two touchdowns at Green Bay in Week 9, a 16-13 upset. He also ranked fifth in the league for yards on the ground.

READ MORE: Week 13 NFL Power Rankings

Through 12 games, he has 174 carries for 871 yards (5.0 YPC) and 5 rushing TDs, plus 233 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown, reflecting three-down utility as the Panthers push for the NFC South.

Coaching posture tracked the production. The staff said they “cannot ignore” the impact and would tune rotation to the backfield’s weekly form. Since Week 9, Dowdle has out-carried Hubbard 62–12 and remained central in late-game scripts and four-minute offense.

In Week 11 at Atlanta, he added 55 receiving yards on seven targets to a 45-yard rushing line, underscoring the passing-game outlet piece in close games.

Hubbard’s four-year deal runs through 2028, but his 2025 usage reflects health and efficiency rather than contract rank. As he builds confidence post-calf, he can still function in a committee, but his current RB1 status is Dowdle’s on performance.

In Week 13 against the San Francisco 49ers, Dowdle had six carries for 38 yards and four receptions for 36 yards. In comparison, Hubbard had three carries for 16 yards, and four receptions for 27 yards as the Panthers lost 20-9.

Carolina Panthers’ Insights for Week 13

Team: After playing the Rams, Carolina will have a bye week before finishing with two of the last four games against Tampa Bay. The Panthers are a half-game behind the Buccaneers in the NFC South.

QB: Bryce Young threw two interceptions in Week 12 against the 49ers. It was his first game since Week 1 with multiple interceptions after having six such games in his first two years.

Offense: The Panthers scored nine points or fewer in three of the last five games.

Defense: The Panthers have forced seven turnovers in the last four games, but they’ve only been able to convert them into 10 total points.

Fantasy: Tetairoa McMillan cashed in his end zone target, and that’s all you can ask for in this limited offense. He’s seen seven end zone looks over his past seven games as he continues to make the most out of a bad situation.