Chuba Hubbard and the Carolina Panthers‘ tight ends have found a rare rhythm that few teams possess this season. In return, the tight ends are seeing their best production in years because Hubbard commands so much defensive attention.
Hubbard has already matched his entire touch count from last season with 134 carries through eight games. He has also surpassed his rushing total from that year, reaching 619 yards and five touchdowns. The tight end room is feeding off this momentum, with players like Mitchell Evans calling the relationship a “push-pull kind of thing, yin-yang.” Evans noted that the group is blocking “pretty d—- well,” which helps Hubbard gain yards. When Hubbard runs well, defenses respect the run game, which opens up passing lanes for the tight ends.
A Shared Standard of Excellence
The connection goes beyond simple play calls. Head coach Dave Canales sees Hubbard as the standard-bearer for what the organization wants to be. “What I love about Chuba is that the things that we talk about wanting to be as an organization, he represents those in spades,” Canales said. The coach praised Hubbard’s preparation and work ethic, noting that he sometimes has to “reel him in and call him back a little bit because he goes so hard.” This intensity sets the tone for the entire room, including the tight ends who block for him every play.
Tight end Tommy Tremble emphasized that Hubbard’s elite level of play forces opponents to respect the run. “If he wasn’t playing as good as he has been, people wouldn’t respect our run game,” Tremble said. He explained that when the defense respects the run, it opens up the pass game for him, Darren Waller, and the rest of the tight end room. The running back is doing the heavy lifting, and the tight ends are capitalizing on the space he creates.
Preparing for a Tough Test
The Panthers face a critical test this Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. The Saints rank 29th in the league against the run, a weakness Hubbard is poised to exploit. Both teams enter the matchup with 3-5 records, making this game vital for the division lead. Hubbard has practiced fully after taking a rest day on Wednesday, while backup Jonathon Brooks is also trending toward a full return despite a groin issue.
Hubbard carries 70.8% of the team’s rushing attempts, showing the coaching staff trusts him to handle the load. The team has used 13-personnel, which features three tight ends, at the 10th-highest rate in the league. The next game is Sunday, Nov. 15, at 1 p.m. ET at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
