Chuba Hubbard, running back for the Carolina Panthers, expressed support for teammate Rico Dowdle after Dowdle received NFC offensive player of the week honors. Hubbard, who has previously worked alongside other running backs like Christian McCaffrey and D’Onta Foreman, emphasized that he does not worry about his own playing time when a teammate succeeds.
“I don’t even think like that,” Hubbard said. “Obviously, Rico had an amazing game, one of the best games ever. And for me, seeing a guy that works his ass off, works day in and day out, get that opportunity and do what he did. I mean, all I have is happiness for him.”
Hubbard was present to congratulate Dowdle after his 234-yard performance against the Dolphins, describing the moment as “pure joy.” He added that the team’s reaction to Dowdle’s award was expected: “Yeah, coach brought it up in the team meeting, and I mean we all kind of figured, I mean if they didn’t give it to him, that’s bulls, to be honest,” Hubbard said. “He definitely deserved it and more, so like I said, just happy to see him get his flowers.”
Hubbard missed Wednesday’s practice due to a calf injury but was seen participating in warm-ups before practice began. He said having depth at running back benefits the team: “I think one thing you can never be mad about is having a talented RB room,” Hubbard said. “I think there are ways to complement each other. Also, I think that you know there are moments like this where one guy goes down and another guy needs to step up. And just Rico, Trevor, and the rest of the guys, DJ even coming in, everyone just filled in and did a great job.
“So seeing everyone kind of come together and do that, it’s a good feeling to see that and obviously get a win.”
In the first four games when both Hubbard and Dowdle were available, Hubbard played 64.1 percent of the snaps while Dowdle played 35.1 percent. Their playing time has varied depending on game situations.
Dowdle said he is focused on contributing however possible: “Only thing I can control is coming in here and put my best foot forward each day,” Dowdle said. “And, like I said, two is better than one; we know for sure we’ve got two guys that can go out there and do it.”
Head coach Dave Canales expressed confidence in both running backs: “It’s a great feeling for me; I look down at the call sheet, I don’t have to worry about who’s in there,” Canales said. “And Trevor, he’s done a great job as well when he’s got his opportunities to run the ball. But to know that we have two solid backs that we love and it just allows us to just continue to play our brand of football, and know that we get a fresh set of legs in there that can execute, so it’s a great feeling for me you know and we’ll figure out how to use both guys when when that time comes.”
Dowdle is currently on a one-year contract with the Panthers and is looking to prove himself after achieving 1,000 rushing yards last season with Dallas. He spoke highly of Hubbard’s work ethic: “He works like no other,” Dowdle said of Hubbard. “First guy in the building, last guy out, definitely one of a kind, great dude for sure, but work ethic like I’ve never seen before.”
The Panthers have a history of utilizing multiple running backs effectively during successful seasons. Quarterback Young also praised Dowdle’s recent performance: “I mean, getting yards after contact, stuff like that, turning a 4 into a 10, turning a 15 into a whatever it may be, it is cool,” Young said. “I kind of feel like I get a unique perspective. Like all the running backs, it’s like I get to watch the end zone copy of film live. So it’s really cool to see and obviously this past weekend, watching Rico, Trevor too, but watching him have an amazing day. It was a lot of fun for me.”
Young added appreciation for both running backs: “I just know that they’re great people,” Young said. “They’re people that are always rooting each other on, always working, always doing the right things, always doing the little things. So you know from my perspective, from the perspective of the entire team, we’re all grateful that we get to work with those guys, so they’re great for the locker room.”
