Dave Canales details workload plan for Panthers RBs Miles Sanders & Chuba Hubbard

The Carolina Panthers hoep they have a one-two punch in the backfield.

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This time a year ago, Miles Sanders entered the season as the Carolina Panthers ' starting running back. That didn't last long though, losing his starting job to Chuba Hubbard a little over a month into the season after a rugged start. Hubbard showed flashes of being a quality lead back, but didn't have eye-popping numbers either. Then again, who could behind last year's offensive line?

With Hubbard finishing the 2023 season as RB1, the idea heading into the season is that it's his job to lose and that he will be the featured back. That may be true to some degree, but Sanders is not going to be pushed off to the side and only be utilized when absolutely needed. He will have a role and as a matter of fact, a pretty significant one.

On Monday, head coach Dave Canales was asked about Sanders' preseason and his preference of having backs split carries versus having one guy carry the load.

“There’s value to both. Just talking to running backs over the years, there is value to letting a guy be out there and get the rhythm to really start breathing, seeing the runs, pressing it, feeling how the line’s blocking on the day. And then there’s a flip side of it where you have two really good backs and you just rotate them through. If a guy has a couple of plays stacked together and has a nice long run then you can get the other guy in and get fresh legs. That’s really the hope that we would approach for. Keep Miles and Chuba to spot each other as we go through it.

“(Miles) looked fantastic," Canales continued. "He came into camp with this focus and this seriousness about the way he’s worked. He’s really emerging as a leader. Chuba has as well. It’s really one of the featured rooms on our team in terms of the character of what we’re looking for. They’re available, work hard, and set the tone for what we’re doing. I’m really pleased with that group as a whole.”

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