As human beings, it’s common for us to make mistakes on a daily basis. And for the Carolina Panthers, general manager Dan Morgan's mistake of extending running back Chuba Hubbard continues to linger over him as we enter the midway point of the 2025 NFL season.

After showing some promise throughout the 2023 season, fans expected Hubbard to be the second running back behind Morgan’s offseason addition of veteran Miles Sanders after he signed a four-year, $25.4 million deal with Carolina.

However, the Sanders’ hype train was short-lived, and Hubbard managed to become the team’s top running back in 2024. In his 15 games played last year, the former 2021 fourth-round pick rushed for 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns on 250 carries. This impressive stint paved the way for Morgan to extend Hubbard, as he would sign a four-year, $33.2 million contract extension exactly one year ago today.

Unfortunately for the front office, the decision to give the 26-year-old rusher a second contract looks to be the wrong choice due to the current state of the running back room.

Hubbard got off to a slow start this season, and with him suffering an injury that forced him to be sidelined for two games, he’s managed to record just 299 rushing yards on 84 carries. While the injury may have played a factor in his limited reps this year, the main reason for the change has been the emergence of running back Rico Dowdle.

Prior to his time with the Panthers, the 27-year-old running back spent four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. Dowdle received a chance to become the lead back for Dallas in 2024, rushing for 1,079 yards and an average of 4.6 yards per carry.

To the surprise of many, Dowdle signed a one-year, $2.75 million contract with the Panthers this offseason to become the backup behind Hubbard. But when the team’s lead back missed time, Dowdle used the opportunity to establish himself, racking up 389 rushing yards on 53 carries for an average of 7.3 yards per carry.

It only took Dowdle an additional two games to become Carolina’s starting running back, as the former undrafted free agent took over the reins in week nine against the Green Bay Packers. Now, Dowdle has the third-most rushing yards in the NFL with 735, which clearly makes him the favorable back for head coach Dave Canales.

With Dowdle set to become a free agent in the offseason and Hubbard remaining under contract, Morgan must make an important decision regarding the team’s run game.

Since the front office decided not to move off either running back at the trade deadline, Morgan now has to find a way to unload Hubbard’s contract if the Panthers want to re-sign Dowdle. If Carolina does not find a suitor for Hubbard, a post-Jun 1 cut is the most cap-friendly option, as the Panthers would save $1.5 million in 2026 and roughly $6 million in 2027.

A running back room of Dowdle, 2024 second-round pick Jonathan Brooks, and 2025 fourth-round pick Trevor Etienne would pose a lethal combination for Carolina’s future offense. With Brooks set to return next season, this trio of backs makes for a perfect run game.