Canadian running back Chuba Hubbard is having a career-best season with the Carolina Panthers while monitoring superstars Saquon Barley and Derrick Henry.
The native of Sherwood Park, Alta. has 189 carries for 919 yards, averaging 4.9 per carry, with seven touchdowns through 12 games along with 31 catches for 126 yards and one score. Hubbard ranks sixth in rushing yards with Barkley leading the NFL and Henry in second.
“Seeing Saquon, Derrick, some of these older guys show their longevity and that they can still be explosive and still be the best players in the league — even after going to new teams — showing that the running back position we’re valuable, we can do it all,” Hubbard said. “All props to them. I appreciate them.”
Barkley signed with the Philadelphia Eagles during free agency in March after feeling disrespected by the New York Giants, the team that selected him second overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. He’s on pace to become the ninth player in NFL history to record 2,000 rushing yards in a single season while having a career campaign on the ground: 246 carries for 1,499 yards, 6.1 per carry, with 11 touchdowns in 12 games.
Henry signed with the Baltimore Ravens during free agency in March after eight seasons with the Tennessee Titans, the team that selected him in the second round, 45th overall during the 2016 NFL Draft. The 30-year-old has a 2,000-yard season on his resume from 2020. The six-foot-two, 247-pound RB has 240 carries for 1,407 yards, 5.9 carry, with 13 touchdowns in 13 games.
Hubbard will go head-to-head with Barkley in Week 14 as the Panthers travel to Philly for a meeting with the Eagles on Sunday. The 10-2 Eagles have won eight straight games while 3-9 Carolina has lost two in a row by field goal margins.
In Week 13, Hubbard lost his first fumble since his rookie season, the second in his career, with the Panthers in position for a game-winning field goal in overtime against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Carolina lost 26-23 in OT after the Bucs turned his turnover into a three-pointer to earn the win.
“Obviously sucks. Game on the line, gotta just run the ball and kick a field goal. Team, everybody’s trusting me with the ball, I gotta do better,” Hubbard said. “Horrible way to lose, but all I can do is own it. Disappointed in myself. I gotta have two hands on the ball in that situation, simple as that. That was a big mistake.”
The 25-year-old needs to hold onto the football for the Panthers to have a chance on the road at Lincoln Financial Field. His over-under rushing yards total versus the Eagles checks in at 58.5 while he’s averaged 76.5 yards per game on the ground this season. There’s a chance Hubbard could go over the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his NFL career in Philadelphia.
