Panthers HC Dave Canales said RB Chuba Hubbard (calf) will play in Week 7 against the Jets.

17 October 2025

The return of Hubbard likely spells the end of Rico Dowdle in a bell cow role, although that doesn’t mean we should expect Hubbard to see the 29 percent opportunity share he enjoyed through the first five weeks of the season. Dowdle totaled 473 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in the two games Hubbard missed, touching the ball an absurd 60 times over that span. They get a decent Week 7 matchup against the Jets, but until we see how the touches are distributed, neither back should be viewed as much more than a fringe RB2/RB3 play.