Although the NFL Trade Deadline ended on Tuesday at 4 PM, General Manager Dan Morgan and the Carolina Panthers weren't done making moves. Their latest decision involved re-signing running back Chuba Hubbard, who inked a new multi-year deal just days before the team's game in Germany.
Chuba is Back
Running back Chuba Hubbard has agreed to a four-year contract extension that will keep him with the Carolina Panthers through the 2028 season. The new deal has a maximum value of $37.2 million, a base value of $33.2 million, and a guaranteed $15 million. Additionally, the contract includes approximately $4 million, likely tied to incentives or a signing bonus.
Also funny to remember, then head coach Matt Rhule's wife, Julie, sent a text just ten minutes before the Panthers' selection of Hubbard, urging the team to pick him. Coach Rhule later shared this text with Hubbard when he called to inform him that he would be joining the Carolina Panthers. Turns out drafting the running back was the best decision made during the Matt Rhule era.
Hubbard is Having a 2024 Breakout Year
Every year, Chuba Hubbard has shown significant progress. In 2022, he recorded 446 yards over fifteen games. The following year, he played in all games and achieved 902 yards. This year is his best yet. After nine games, Hubbard ranks eleventh in the league with 133 carries, fifth in the league with 655 rushing yards, and tied for fourteenth in touchdowns with five. Additionally, he averages 5.0 yards per carry, placing him among the top 15 running backs in the NFL in terms of carries, yards, and touchdowns. Additionally, those metrics are with only half the season completed; he aims to surpass 1,000 yards for the first time.
Panthers Trade Deadline Activity
Days before the Trade Deadline, the Panthers traded Diontae Johnson and a sixth-round selection to the Baltimore Ravens for a fifth-round pick. This is not a ton of value, but it’s evident the Panthers' front office is putting their trust into their rookie wide receivers, Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker, who have been blossoming in their rookie years.
On Tuesday, Carolina sent former 2023 second-round pick Jonathon Mingo and a seventh-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for the Cowboys' 2025 fifth-round draft pick. During this season, Mingo has twelve catches for 121 yards over nine games (definitely a franchise-saving type of player). Meanwhile, 2024 undrafted rookie Jalen Coker had 14 receptions for 222 yards and one touchdown (he did not even start in all nine games).
The selection of Chuba Hubbard is the one good thing to come out of Matt Rhule's tenure's comedy of errors. Hubbard has proven to be a cornerstone player, the type to change the culture within the Panthers. Dan Morgan has shown that he can find diamonds in the rough and if needed, cut bait with players who are not going to be worth keeping. In other words, the Panthers finally have a competent front office.
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