Chuba Hubbard Trade Reportedly Not Eyed by Panthers Amid Rico Dowdle's Strong Play

Rico Dowdle's ability to succeed while Chuba Hubbard was injured earlier this season reportedly hasn't convinced the Carolina Panthers they don't need two top running backs.

The Athletic's Joseph Person reported that the Panthers "don't want to move Hubbard" ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline.

Hubbard, 26, is playing in the first season of a four-year, $33.2 million contract that one scout told Person other teams might be "leery" of taking on.

"Given Hubbard's value as a complement to Dowdle and a team leader, I don't see the Panthers making him available anyway — unless he tried to force the issue, which isn't his style," Person wrote.

Person's report comes after Hubbard was sidelined for Weeks 5 and 6 due to a calf strain. Dowdle responded by racking up 389 rushing yards in back-to-back wins over the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys.

The two have returned to an almost even split in the backfield since Hubbard's return, although that combination has fallen short of the franchise-record numbers Dowdle was able to post while carrying the workload on his own.

Hubbard recorded 26 total carries for 65 yards in a Week 7 win at the New York Jets and Week 8 loss to the Buffalo Bills. He's averaging just 2.5 yards per carry since returning from injury.

Dowdle has more than doubled that over the same stretch, averaging 5.3 yards per attempt while recording 25 carries for 133 yards.

That side-by-side comparison through two games might have been enough to inspire head coach Dave Canales to shift the backfield rotation ahead of Week 9.

When asked if Monday if the Panthers are considering giving Dowdle a heavier workload going forward, Canales answered, "That's something we're looking at."

Canales continued, "You have to respect the job that Chuba has done for us, to get us to the point where we've established a mentality about how we run. And we cannot ignore the fact that Rico has made an impact when he's been out there."

Hubbard also acknowledged Monday that the possibility of him losing some carries to Dowdle "has been a conversation for the last few weeks," per Panthers.com's Kassidy Hill.

"I mean, whatever, whether it's 70/30, 50/50, 100 my way or Rico's way, whatever it is, my focus is winning," Hubbard said Monday, per Hill. "My main focus is never solely about me. It's always about the team and winning games."

The potential switch makes for a lopsided salary cap situation in which Hubbard slides into a second-string role on a long-term contract while Dowdle starts while earning half his salary on an expiring contract.

Given that Dowdle could decide to test free agency after this season, however, the Panthers could end up turning back to Hubbard in the future.

Even if the franchise does decide to move on from Hubbard, the Panthers would take on $6 million in dead money next season by trading him now and just $1.5 million if they wait until after June 1, per Over the Cap.

Given Hubbard's contract terms and Dowdle's pending free agency, it may make sense for the Panthers to wait until the offseason to determine what their backfield will look like in 2026.