Carolina Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard got a bold 2026 season prediction from ESPN.
ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano predicts Chuba Hubbard will lead the Carolina Panthers in rushing yards this season.
For the Panthers last season, Hubbard had 511 rushing yards and just one rushing touchdown on 134 carries. He will split carries with Jonathon Brooks.
"I know, it's not what fantasy managers who have been excited to draft Jonathon Brooks want to hear," Graziano wrote. "But the Panthers like Hubbard a lot -- as a runner, as a locker room leader, as many things. They're excited about Brooks, but his health history means they will be extremely careful with him. He offers a lot of potential and explosiveness, but only if they can keep him on the field.
"That's why, to my understanding, the plan is for Hubbard and Brooks to split carries this season. If Hubbard stays healthy, he's the one in whom they've built up more trust, so I'd expect him to be the one the Panthers lean on to try to grind out games when they have the lead. The split should be pretty close, but it would not be a surprise at all to get to the end of the season and see that Hubbard got the majority of the work."
Brooks missed all of last season recovering from his second ACL tear. He has only nine carries in the NFL for 22 rushing yards.
Hubbard enters this season with 3,686 rushing yards and 23 rushing touchdowns in the NFL. He's been with the Panthers since 2021.
The Panthers have a difficult 2026 schedule. They face the Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.
Bryce Young isn't the best passer in the NFL, so Hubbard and Brooks must do some damage on the ground for the Panthers to have an effective offense.
Even though the Panthers won the NFC South title last season, they finished with a sub-.500 record and needed help in Week 18 to win the division. It will be intriguing to see how Carolina does in 2026. The team can no longer fly under the radar after making the playoffs last season.
