Carolina Panthers place breakout offensive star on injured reserve going into Week 17

Running back Chuba Hubbard is headed to the injured reserve list with a calf and knee injury.

Tim Weaver | 15 Hours Ago

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 22: Chuba Hubbard #30 of the Carolina Panthers celebrates after scoring a rushing touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during overtime at Bank of America Stadium on December 22, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina / (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers and their front office are getting a painful lesson in just how high the injury rate is for NFL running backs. According to a report by Adam Schefter at ESPN, the team is placing their breakout star in the backfield Chuba Hubbard on the injured reserve list with a calf/knee injury.

For Hubbard it's an unfortunate end to what's been an awesome 2024 season. Hubbard will end the year having gotten 250 carries, totaling 1,195 rushing yards (4.8 yards per attempt) and 10 touchdowns. As a receiver Hubbard added another 43 catches on 54 targets, totaling 171 receiving yards and another touchdown.

Along the way, Hubbard earned himself a contract extension, worth up to $33.2 million over the next four years. Players who go on IR have to sit out at least four weeks, and as there are only two games remaining on the schedule, we've seen the last of Hubbard this year.

Hubbard isn't the first or the second Carolina running back to land on IR this season. Three weeks ago the team's second-round draft pick, Jonathon Brooks also went on injured reserve after re-tearing the ACL that ended his final season at Texas early.

Brooks' season-ending injury came just a couple weeks after veteran running back Miles Sanders went on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury in the team's Munich matchup with the New York Giants.

With all three of their top options now on IR, apparently the next man up on the depth chart is Mike Boone, who's spent most of the season on the practice squad. Raheem Blackshear will back him up.

Needless to say, this trend of running backs ending their seasons early is a lesson for first-year general manager Dan Morgan, who should learn that it's not a great idea to use high draft picks at such an injury-prone, easily-replaceable position. Hubbard earned his extension, but there's a reason why a lot of teams are fundamentally opposed to giving running backs second contracts.