The Carolina Panthers have a quarterback question, a receiver room that inspires little confidence, and a coaching staff that's made it clear what the offense runs through. None of those are the biggest concern heading into 2026.
The biggest concern is the ground game. And it might not hold up.
Rico Dowdle wasn't flashy last year, but he averaged 4.6 yards per carry last season and played a meaningful role in several of the Panthers' more significant wins, including victories over Green Bay and Los Angeles.
Carolina Panthers' worst nightmare in 2026 centers on their running back dynamic
But Dowdle is gone now. And the group tasked with replacing him carries more red flags than the Panthers would probably like to admit.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report laid it out plainly: “The Panthers still have Chuba Hubbard, Trevor Etienne, and Jonathon Brooks, and they added AJ Dillon. The hope is that Hubbard and Brooks, a 2024 second-round pick, can be a high-end duo. However, Brooks has spent the last two years rehabbing from a torn ACL, so he remains an unknown.”
Chuba Hubbard was the starter last year and managed just 511 yards and one touchdown. Even worse of a look is that among 65 backs with 50+ carries, Pro Football Focus ranked him last in breakaway percentage, 57th in yards after contact per attempt, and 53rd in explosive run rate.
The optimistic case is that the calf injury explains all of it, and a healthy Hubbard bounces back. But even in the optimistic case, he needs a partner. That's where Jonathon Brooks comes in and where the real uncertainty lives.
Brooks has played 23 NFL snaps. He's torn his ACL twice. He's been a controlled participant in OTAs and minicamp, which is the right call, but it also means nobody actually knows what he is yet.
Dave Canales is not going to change his philosophy based on how the backfield produces. He leaned on the run last year when neither Dowdle nor Hubbard was effective. He'll lean on it again in 2026 because he believes it's the most important thing for a developing quarterback.
The Panthers added AJ Dillon and still has Trevor Etienne on the roster, so there's some depth. But depth doesn't solve the core problem, which is that the Panthers are asking Brooks to play at a high level after two ACL surgeries on two years of essentially no reps, and asking Hubbard to rediscover his 2024 form after a season that went completely sideways.
Canales built this offense around the run. If the run fails him, the whole thing gets uncomfortable fast.
Add us as a preferred source on Google