After back-to-back victories over the Dolphins and the Cowboys, the Carolina Panthers got themselves back to .500 for the first time since Cam Newton’s return to the franchise in 2021. And the star of both these victories? Rico Dawdle. While this is great news for Panthers HC Dave Canales, not everyone in the Panthers locker room is happy about this rise. Case in point: Chuba Hubbard. The status of Chuba Hubbard as the Carolina Panthers’ unquestioned starting running back has been thrown into serious doubt, sparking potential trade rumors after head coach Dave Canales refused to commit to the veteran upon his return from injury.

Hubbard has been sidelined for the past two games, battling a calf injury. Following the team’s impressive 30-27 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, Coach Canales was pressed on the running back situation. According to ESPN Reporter David Newton, Canales was noncommittal about who would take the field as the starter next week. He wrote on his social media handle X: “Dave Canales didn’t commit to Chuba Hubbard being the starter over Rico Dowdle when he returns from a calf injury.”

But the coach has emphasized that while the team still has a decision to make, the backup has earned a significant role moving forward, adding: “We’re going to figure that part out, but I know that Rico [Dowdle] is doing a great job and will be a part of what we’re doing.”

Rico Dowdle has been on an absolute tear in Week 5 against Miami; he exploded for 234 yards from scrimmage (including 206 rushing yards). In Week 6 against his former team, the Cowboys, he topped that, posting an absurd 239 yards from scrimmage (183 on the ground). 

This two-game stretch, which saw Dowdle rack up 473 scrimmage yards, set a new franchise record for the most productive two-game span ever, a mark previously held by Christian McCaffrey. Dowdle’s individual Week 6 performance also broke McCaffrey’s single-game franchise record. He accumulated the most yards from scrimmage in franchise history with 239.

On the other hand, Chuba Hubbard has failed to impress even before he got injured. Hubbard was a late-round draft pick who worked his way into the starting role and earned a lucrative four-year contract extension. Yet, since signing that deal, his play has stalled. He has missed the last two games with a calf injury, but even when healthy, his production has lagged, evidenced by zero explosive runs and zero missed tackles forced this season.

Meanwhile, Dowdle has been nothing but sensational in his absence. He shattered franchise records with back-to-back 200-plus total yard games, demonstrating an elite ability to create yards and force missed tackles, an element Hubbard is currently lacking. This stark contrast has created a massive organizational dilemma.

Can Dave Canales’ Panthers trade Chuba Hubbard ahead of week 7?

The answer is that the team can make the trade, but this theory is just a speculative one, considering all possibilities. The sudden, explosive performance of Rico Dowdle has completely upended the Carolina Panthers‘ backfield situation, pushing veteran starter Chuba Hubbard onto the trade block ahead of Week 7. 

Trading Hubbard, even with his recent extension, makes sense for the future. Although the team would lose money now due to his contract (dead cap), his stable contract makes him a good player to trade to a team that needs a running back. By trading Hubbard, the Panthers could gain draft picks or other players, and then use that freed-up money to give Dowdle, who is only on a one-year deal, a new, cheaper, long-term contract.

However, this is just a possibility; nothing can be said for sure until there is some final word spoken by Dave Canales or the team regarding a possible trade.