24 Questions for ‘24: So is Chuba Hubbard good?

Let’s explore four important questions about the Carolina Panthers running back position.

As we look forward to the 2024 season, in the coming weeks we’ll ask 24 important questions that will shape the Panthers future.

So is Chuba Hubbard good?

One of the most positive, unexpected results from the general mess that was the Panthers 2023 season was the continued emergence of third-year running back Chuba Hubbard. Through his first two seasons he rushed for a total of 1,078 yards while averaging a respectable 4.0 yards per carry, but he never really “popped” as a difference maker.

Fast forward to 2023 and it was widely assumed Hubbard would play a support role to big-time free agent Miles Sanders who was coming off a Pro Bowl season with the Philadelphia Eagles. But as the season progressed Hubbard clearly emerged as the best option in Carolina’s backfield. Chuba rushed for 902 yards on 3.8 yards per carry compared to Sanders’ 432 yards on 3.3 yards per carry.

Throw in Hubbard’s 233 receiving yards and he may have produced the quietest 1,135 scrimmage yards in the entire league.

While Chuba’s 3.8 yards per carry in 2023 doesn’t jump off the page, it was an impressive result given the circumstances surrounding him. First, the Panthers offensive line was a complete mess after losing guards Brady Christensen and Austin Corbett. The unit finished the season ranked 30th in Run Block Win Rate. Second, Carolina’s impotent passing game allowed opposing defenses to stack the box and eliminate running lanes. In 2022 Chuba averaged 3.1 yards before contact but that figure plummeted to 2.0 yards before contact in 2023. Almost every carry was tough sledding.

Despite these challenges, PFF ranked Chuba as the 16th best back among 60 qualified players at his position.

So, yes, Chuba Hubbard is pretty good.

In 2024 Hubbard will be playing in the final year of his rookie contract and carry a cap hit of just $1.2 million. If the Panthers offensive line can stay healthy in 2024, Hubbard could exceed 1,000 yards rushing on a minimal cap hit, making him a very valuable piece to next year’s roster.

Will Miles Sanders be back in 2024?

In light of Miles Sanders’ massively disappointing first season in Charlotte, it’s only natural to ask what the future holds for the 26-year-old running back.

First, Miles Sanders will be back in 2024. He isn’t going anywhere.

Sanders signed a four-year, $25.4 million contract with $13 million guaranteed before the 2023 season. In 2024 his cap hit will be $7.7 million while the dead cap the team would incur for releasing or trading him would be $8.4 million, so it would cost the Panthers more cap space to part ways than to bring him back next year.

One of the new coaching staff’s biggest opportunities in 2024 will be to return Miles Sanders to his former Pro Bowl self.

Can new head coach Dave Canales get Miles Sanders back on track?

That’s the hope, obviously.

And based on what we know about Coach Canales he just might be able to get Miles Sanders performing closer to Pro Bowl level than the running back who PFF rated No. 54 of 60 at his position this year.

Remember, Sanders averaged 5.0 yards per carry over four seasons with the Eagles prior to coming to Carolina. Yes, he did have the good fortune of playing behind a solid offensive line in Philly, but running backs don’t just luck into that level of production over that long of a time period. Churning out five yards per carry over four seasons requires vision, timing, speed, and strength, and at 26 years old Mile Sanders is still in his physical prime.

New head coach Dave Canales was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator in 2023. In that capacity he somehow coaxed 1,539 scrimmage yards out of second-year running back Rachaad White (990 rushing, 549 receiving).

Raise your hand if you knew Rachaad White ranked fourth among running backs in scrimmage yards in 2023.

I bet the only people raising their hands had White on their fantasy team.

With a new coaching staff, healthier and more productive offensive line (hopefully), and a better passing game in 2024 (double hopefully), Panther fans should have some optimism that Miles Sanders can rebound in 2024.

Will Tarik Cohen see the field in 2024?

The Panthers running back room is devoid of depth after Hubbard and Sanders, so there needs to be another capable option if one of them is to miss time.

I’m hoping it will be Tarik Cohen, but this is probably more of an emotional than rational stance.

Cohen is an easy guy to root for after his career was derailed by injuries, plus he’s a North Carolina boy. In his first three NFL seasons (2017-2019) he established himself as one of the most dynamic pass catchers out of the backfield with 203 total receptions. But early in the 2020 season he suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and fractured his tibia, forcing him to miss the rest of that season and his entire 2022 campaign. Then in 2022 he tore his Achilles during a personal workout. He landed on the Panthers practice squad in 2023 but suffered a hamstring injury.

Cohen isn’t under contract in 2024 but it’s my hope the 5-foot-6 dynamo comes back in 2024 and finds a way to contribute in Carolina.