Chuba Hubbard appears poised for his best season yet, Dave Canales eludes

Dave Canales has said since he was first hired in the spring that the Carolina Panthers would run the football.

With nearly a week of practice in the books, Canales said Monday that Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard has been everything he dreamed of and more thus far.

"Chuba Hubbard, he means it," Canales said . "He runs angry. he runs with the style that we want to be about. I can't wait to give Chuba those opportunities to champion those guys that bring that toughness."

Hubbard walked into training camp fresh off his most productive season as a pro. He ran for 902 yards and five touchdowns in 17 games played.

The 25-year-old running back also usurped Miles Sanders on the depth chart as the Panthers featured running back. Sanders was signed to a splashy deal in the 2023 offseason that soured far quicker than many expected .

With Hubbard, Canales has a running back that appears to invoke what the head coach envisioned for a Panthers offense reliant on a steady run game and consistent play-action attacks.

"We got a really good running back room right now and when Dave and I took this job, we said that we were going to create competition in every position group," Dan Morgan said after drafting Jonathon Brooks.

As it turns out, Hubbard is showing himself to be a cut above the rest with how he has played through the start of training camp.