The Carolina Panthers placed running back Chuba Hubbard on injured reserve, ending his season with two games to go, the team announced Saturday.
Hubbard practiced on a limited basis on Thursday and Friday and was listed as questionable with knee and calf aliments for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Following Friday’s practice, a MRI revealed that Hubbard had a Grade 2 calf strain and team decided to shut him down for the season.
Entering the weekend, Hubbard ranked sixth in the league in rushing with 1,195 yards. The fourth-year back also had 10 touchdowns in his breakout season. Last month, the Panthers and Hubbard agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $33.2 million.
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“When you look at the production he’s putting out and what everyone else is getting paid as far as the production, he’s putting it out,” former Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart told The Athletic last week.
Hubbard closed his season with a 21-yard touchdown run to cap off a 152-yard day in the team’s Week 16 overtime win against the Arizona Cardinals. That performance earned him NFC offensive player of the week honors.
With Hubbard out and rookie Jonathon Brooks and Miles Sanders already on injured reserve, Raheem Blackshear and Mike Boone are next up in the team’s backfield.
Carolina (4-11) enters Sunday’s game in the No. 7 spot of the 2025 draft order. The Panthers close the season with the Atlanta Falcons in Week 18.
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(Photo: Matt Kelley / Getty Images)
