Carolina Panthers end of season awards: 2021 edition
By Dean Jones
Chuba Hubbard – Carolina Panthers RB
It’s been an indifferent contribution from most rookies drafted by the Carolina Panthers in 2021. Jaycee Horn looked like a star before breaking his foot in Week 3 at the Houston Texans, with tight end Tommy Tremble and offensive lineman Brady Christensen also flashing some promise throughout the campaign.
However, the Rookie of the Year Award goes to Chuba Hubbard. The Oklahoma State product is not without his flaws, but he deserves tremendous credit for stepping up after probably being asked to do far more than the Panthers anticipated right out of the gate.
This has everything to do with Christian McCaffrey’s injury problems coming back with a vengeance. The All-Pro managed just seven games due to various problems, which meant Carolina had to rely on Hubbard and Ameer Abdullah to shoulder the load.
Hubbard still has trouble generating yards after contact and his first year in the pros has been littered with frustrating drops. However, the player finished on a high at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and hopefully, he can develop his game further in readiness for his sophomore campaign.
In the end, Hubbard finished with 612 rushing yards and five touchdowns from 172 touches while also gaining 25 receptions for a further 174 yards. Not exactly mind-blowing, but definitely something to build on.