Saquon Barkley was in a league of his own during the 2024 campaign, helping the Philadelphia Eagles get over the hump to win another Super Bowl. The NFC East franchise rewarded the running back accordingly with a bumper new extension.
Something that also proved the Carolina Panthers timed their deal with Chuba Hubbard perfectly.
Hubbard isn't in Barkley's league, of course. However, the newly crowned NFL Offensive Player of the Year raised the bar for running backs around the league thanks to a historic financial commitment given to him by the Eagles.
Barkley's new agreement makes him the highest-paid running back in NFL history. This didn't go unnoticed by the likes of James Cook from the Buffalo Bills, who is also looking for a new deal and will add more dollars to his demands in the wake of this development.
That's of no concern to the Panthers. They recognized Hubbard was a big part of the team's future and got a new contract sorted ahead of the game. It avoided unnecessary complications and kept one of their top performers around long-term.
Carolina Panthers got ahead of the game with Chuba Hubbard contract extension
Had they waited until the offseason or were still looking to extend him after Barkley's extension, the price would have only gone up.
Hubbard signed a four-year, $33.2 million contract with a $7.53 million signing bonus and $16.45 million guaranteed. This is nothing more than the Oklahoma State product deserved after remaining professional to fight his way into a prominent position on and off the field. Morgan deserves praise for acknowledging his efforts and having a good feel for how things were going to develop in the running back market.
Saquon extension makes the #Panthers signing Chuba Hubbard to an extension mid-year look even better.
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) March 4, 2025
Had he hit the market, the negotiating floor would have been raised massively with this deal.
The Eagles gave Barkley a record-breaking deal and rightfully so. Hubbard was never going to get this sort of money, but there's no doubt he'd have been looking for a little more after some standout performances and the bar for running backs being raised.
Carolina would be wise to keep the same mindset regarding Jaycee Horn's pending extension. Talks are ongoing with the cornerback's representatives and hopes are high that something will get worked out soon. With Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley Jr. up for renewal shortly, the Panthers have added urgency to reach a compromise with one of their few foundational pieces.
The Panthers are doing things differently with Morgan and Brandt Tilis running the front office. There is professionalism, purpose, and collaboration. Everything is done with the team in mind rather than the self-preservation that reigned previously. That's only going to serve the organization well as it slowly wins back respect in league circles.
Fans are enthused about the way things are unfolding these days. There's hope for the future and confidence in the decision-making process. The Panthers aren't close to being the finished article just yet, but they're on the right track after years of decay.
A few more impeccably-timed decisions like the one to extend Hubbard, and it won't be much longer before the Panthers are being touted as a potential playoff hopeful challenging for NFC South championships.