The running back conversation keeps drifting toward competition. But the Carolina Panthers’ actions reveal the real plan.
In 2024, the Panthers handed Chuba Hubbard a four-year extension during the season. They also signed Rico Dowdle to a one-year, prove-it deal during 2025 free agency.
Dowdle was a tremendous acquisition. He led Carolina in rushing with 1,076 yards and gained a $1 million bonus for going over 1,350 yards from scrimmage. Still, context matters more than production.
The South Carolina product made it clear after the playoff loss he wants volume: “I just want to be a guy who can go out there and get the bulk of the carries.”
Carolina Panthers may already have their preferred running back trio in place
That opportunity likely won’t exist in Carolina. The Panthers already have Hubbard under contract. Jonathon Brooks is returning from injury, and 2025 draft pick Trevor Etienne is developing behind them. Carry distribution is capped before negotiations even start.
Unless Dowdle accepts a limited role at a reduced price, all signs point to him hitting free agency. Not because he failed, but because the roster never planned around him.
For a while, Brooks was viewed as the future starter. He could now be the complementary piece to the existing one after serious knee injuries. The Panthers traded up in the second round to draft him, but he's featured in just three regular-season games since. Instead of replacing Hubbard, the former Texas star's return could allow him to ease into it gradually.
The likely 2026 backfield alignment makes the plan obvious. Hubbard looks like the featured runner. Brooks is a secondary option with high upside. Etienne can be the rotational, change-of-pace weapon.
Keeping four running backs rarely works financially or schematically. This is why Dowdle, despite strong production, appears positioned to test free agency again.
Dowdle’s yardage was valuable. Brooks’ potential is exciting. But neither changes the central reality: head coach Dave Canales wants a stable offensive identity as quarterback Bryce Young develops.
Hubbard provides exactly that. Reliability, versatility in the passing game, and durability across multiple seasons in Carolina’s system. Coaches trust him in protection, timing, and situational football. Those factors decide playing time far more often than highlight plays do.
The Panthers didn’t choose their RB1 after a breakout performance. They chose him after years of incremental proof. Fans see a crowded backfield. Canales sees a structured one.
Carolina never formally announced Hubbard as the future of their rushing attack because teams rarely do. They simply built a roster where the answer becomes unavoidable.
Fans keep asking the running back question. But the organization already stopped asking it.