Mar 13, 2025 1:16 pm: The Panthers are signing Rico Dowdle to replace Miles Sanders (free agent) as Hubbard's backup, ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Hubbard and Dowdle both were lead backs last year, but there doesn't seem to be any doubt about whose show it will be in 2025, considering the former signed a four-year, $33.2 million extension. Dowdle settled for a one-year deal with a reported base value of $3 million, which suggests NFL teams view him as a backup-caliber player even after he ran for 1,079 yards in Dallas last year. Hubbard is the better pure runner, and generally a superior player, but it is possible he cedes more of the backfield work in 2025 (compared to last season) if Carolina's coaches like Dowdle more than they liked Sanders. There's no indication Hubbard's calf and knee injuries from the end of 2024 will be a problem for the upcoming season, whereas 2024 second-round pick Jonathon Brooks figures to miss significant time after tearing his right ACL for the second time in two years.