With Chuba Hubbard still recovering from a calf issue, the Carolina Panthers have leaned heavily on Rico Dowdle to carry the rushing load. Hubbard returned in Week 7, but he is still working to fully reintegrate himself into the offense, while Dowdle has taken advantage of the extra snaps. In the two games Hubbard missed, Dowdle delivered 473 scrimmage yards, essentially forcing Carolina to rely on him as their lead option.
Hubbard has admitted that his eagerness to get back on the field may have been premature. Speaking with team reporter Kassidy Hill, he acknowledged that he pushed his recovery too quickly. “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,” Hubbard said. “Obviously, in the league you’re never gonna be 100 percent. 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.”
He went on to explain that the setback was more complicated than it may have appeared. “Maybe just feeling a little off,” he continued. “I kind of had — not to get into the details of what exactly was going on with my calf — but I had a few different things going on with it. And it was just kind of hard to explain some of the stuff that I was dealing with.”
In Carolina’s dramatic 30-27 overtime win against the Atlanta Falcons, Hubbard logged only four carries, while Dowdle handled 19. Even so, Hubbard was effective when given the chance, averaging 5.3 yards per attempt. The problem is that he has not yet been able to reclaim the role he held before the injury, and the coaching staff appears committed to riding the hot hand while Dowdle remains this productive.
As Hubbard continues to move further away from the initial calf injury, there is a possibility his workload could increase. The challenge for Carolina will be finding the right balance, especially with Dowdle playing at such a high level. Still, Hubbard’s focus is on healing correctly this time around and putting himself in a position to contribute the way he knows he can. For now, he remains optimistic and determined to fully regain his form while supporting the team however he can.