Chuba Hubbard's story is an inspirational one. And the running back is confident this is the start of great things for the Carolina Panthers after making notable strides in 2024.
Hubbard emerged from an afterthought into a core foundational piece through hard work and supreme commitment. He was tasked with significant responsibilities as a rookie and couldn't fill the gaping void left by Christian McCaffrey. The former fourth-round pick fought back in the face of adversity, displaying the high-character traits and professionalism that represented a breath of fresh air across the franchise.
Dan Morgan recognized Hubbard's worth, giving him a four-year extension in-season. The Panthers were unfortunately vindicated almost immediately after rookie second-round pick Jonathon Brooks suffered a torn ACL on the same knee he'd been rehabilitating for the best part of a year.
This piles more pressure on Hubbard, although the Panthers will add to their running back room this offseason. That need becomes more urgent if Miles Sanders is a salary-cap casualty as expected, but the Oklahoma State product is the focal point until further notice.
Chuba Hubbard believes Carolina Panthers can compete for championships
Hubbard gained plaudits for his emergence in 2024. Even so, he's not interested in individual accolades. He's more interested in team success and getting the Panthers among the contenders. Everything else comes secondary to that, which is a testament to the mentality that got him this far, to begin with.
"Every NFL player, everybody in my position would have similar [goals] but just to win games, make the playoffs and win a championship. I feel like all of the other type of individual goals and things like that kind of come when you're chasing those things."Chuba Hubbard via Canadian Press
The backfield threat is ambitious. Hubbard believes the Panthers are on the cusp of something special and wants to be part of it. If he didn't have conviction in this ambitious project, he'd have turned down the contract and taken his chances elsewhere in free agency.
Carolina needs to match these ambitions. Dave Canales' squad impressed over the second half of the season. They were competitive against some of the league's elite and gained a few impressive victories. There is hard work ahead, but the team has several decent pieces to build around for long-term prosperity.
Hubbard is included in that. The player was praised for his exceptional work ethic and emerging leadership during the offseason. Another strong campaign cemented his importance to the organization. His bullish claims about the future are exactly what Panthers fans want to hear.
This is not the finished article just yet. The Panthers have significant defensive issues to resolve and need to solidify depth at almost every position group. Fixing these issues in year two of Morgan's tenure will be challenging, but Carolina won back respect and is a more attractive destination as a result.
If Hubbard continues to improve and avoids the complacency that can arrive when players get paid, that'll help enormously. Looking at the journey that got him to this point, he'll be taking nothing for granted.
That will only mean good things for Hubbard and the Panthers moving forward. Something that could potentially result in Pro Bowl consideration next time around.