Chuba Hubbard deal looks even better for Panthers after James Conner contract extension

Matt Alquiza | 2 Hours Ago

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Carolina Panthers

Like clockwork, the NFL discourse machine revved up when Chuba Hubbard inked his four-year, $33.2 million contract extension with the Carolina Panthers. Takes about positional value, leadership qualities, rebuilding, etc. flew around Twitter that afternoon, with the majority of folks doing what they've become intimately comfortable doing in recent years: dunking on the Carolina Panthers.

A few weeks later, those takes have begun to simmer down as the media mogul has moved on.

Until Saturday morning.

James Conner of the Arizona Cardinals signed a two-year, $19 million extension that simultaneously rebooted those age-old conversations and made Carolina look like winners for once. Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer articulated it well.

Chuba Hubbard is four years younger, has 171 more rushing yards and two more rushing TDs at this point in the season, and his APY on his extension is $1.2 million less.

Conner is a good player and a big part of the Cardinals resurgence, but Hubbard deal looks better by the day. https://t.co/8TjdBOwR7U
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) November 30, 2024

He's 100% correct.

The rationale behind James Conner's extension is similar to Hubbard's. Both running backs are key pieces on ascendant offenses that bring paramount intangible value to their franchise's locker rooms. In a vacuum, paying running backs is a losing proposition. For the Panthers and the Cardinals, paying their incumbent backs was a non-negotiable.

Hubbard has been the engine for Carolina's offensive attack under Dave Canales. The veteran running back has racked up 876 yards (26 shy of a career-high that he will likely break in the first quarter this weekend) and seven touchdowns while hauling in 31 receptions for 126 yards through the air - a skill that he worked on as the last player on Carolina's practice field every day this summer.

Conner, six months away from turning 30, has amassed 705 yards and five scores in Drew Petzig's high-octane offense.

The comparisons between the two situations run even deeper. Both Carolina (Jonathon Brooks) and Arizona (Trey Benson) selected a running back with a premium selection in last spring's NFL Draft. Neither rookie has made an outsized impact in their maiden season (for different reasons, obviously), furthering the case for their elders contract extension.

In my opinion, both contracts make sense. Both Carolina and Arizona have relied on their star rushers for consistent offense. Bryce Young and Kyler Murray can appreciate the down-to-down chain-moving skills of their starting backs that opens up the passing game for their offenses.

When comparing the contracts, it's clear that Carolina takes the cake in a value-off. Kaye's assessment of the situation, citing Hubbard's age, current production, and AAV, make Carolina the winner in a landslide.

Another notch in the belt of those that preach patience, level-headed analysis, and a full scope when discussing football in our 24/7 news cycle, hot-takey world. Signing Hubbard was a shrewd move for Dan Morgan and company, and his contract will only continue to age gracefully as his compatriots ink comparable long-term deals.