CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Chuba Hubbard knows that no one is perfect. But that hasn't stopped the Carolina Panthers' running back from chasing perfection. And after a forgettable, injury-marred 2025 campaign, during which he lost his starting job after a career season in 2024, the team captain is leading the backfield again, and he's perhaps better than ever.
"I pride myself in hard work and staying consistent in knowing what I can do and trying to bring my best every single day, so it's more so just fighting for excellence and fighting to be perfect in every way possible," Hubbard told ESPN.
Hubbard, 27, signed a four-year, $33.2 million contract extension during his breakout 2024 campaign, when he rushed for 1,195 yards and produced 11 total touchdowns in 15 games. Through eight games in 2026, he has rushed for 619 yards and produced seven total touchdowns, bouncing back as the Panthers have struggled to find consistency almost everywhere else during a three-game losing streak and a 3-5 start.
But those numbers don't tell the complete story of Hubbard's value. He's talented, sure, but his true worth is as a tone-setter for the organization.
Though he was selected by the franchise, while Matt Rhule was the coach, in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft, Hubbard has established himself as the standard-bearer for the Dave Canales era over the past three seasons. And with Carolina fighting to maintain its position atop the NFC South, his value has become apparent, if not paramount, to the team's ability to recalibrate its season.
"What I love about Chuba is that the things that we talk about wanting to be as an organization, he represents those in spades," Canales said. "His preparation, the way that he works, the way I have to kind of reel him in and call him back a little bit because he goes so hard."
Hubbard could be the X factor who wills Carolina to a win Sunday at the Caesars Superdome (1 p.m. ET, Fox), where the Panthers haven't won since the 2022 season. Hubbard, who has 70.8% of the team's carries this season, will face the New Orleans Saints, who have one of the league's worst rushing defenses (ranked 29th). A win could reignite Carolina's hopes of securing consecutive division titles for the first time since the franchise owned the NFC South crown from 2013 to 2015.
According to those who know him best, Hubbard is ready to shoulder that burden, not only because of who he is as a player, but also because of who he is as a person and a leader in the locker room.
Chuba Hubbard's style 'keeps a defense honest' and could bode well in New Orleans
Hubbard entered Week 10 with the 10th-most rushing yards in the NFL. He has played one fewer game than five of the backs who are in front of him on that list, and three of those playmakers (Derrick Henry with 689, Jonathan Taylor at 656 and Javonte Williams at 629) have fewer than 70 more yards than Hubbard.
This week, the Panthers' top back will get an opportunity to make up ground on the rushing leader list against the Saints. New Orleans allows 133.9 rushing yards per game and 4.52 yards per carry. With New Orleans also struggling against the pass (ranked 28th with 236.6 passing yards allowed per game), Hubbard could take advantage of quarterback Bryce Young's passing threat against potentially lighter tackle boxes.
Hubbard's ability to gain momentum throughout a game has made him a steady presence in an otherwise erratic offense. And his north-south rushing style should be a challenge for a Saints defense that has struggled to bring down ball carriers.
Through eight games, Hubbard has averaged 26.5 rushing yards in the first half of games. He has nearly doubled that number with a 50.9 rushing-yards average in the second half. Hubbard also has 110 rushing yards over expected (RYOE), defined as the difference between actual rushing yards and expected rushing yards on a series of plays, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. That total ranks sixth in the league entering Week 10.
"That aligns with who Chuba is as a player, a person," Panthers offensive coordinator Brad Idzik said recently. "He's going to outwork you. He's going to outlast you. He's going to out-prepare you. ... Whereas some people wear down throughout the game, it feels like he gets stronger, because he's prepared for that."
Hubbard into the end zone for the 2nd time! @DETvsCAR on NBC/Peacock Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/jFIXWQcU83
— NFL (@NFL) October 5, 2026
Hubbard's lopsided first- and second-half splits are partially due to Young airing out the ball consistently in the first half, which is wearing down opposing defenses, particularly in the second and third levels. The other part is that Hubbard is fresh down the stretch of games, and can bulldoze past (and through) defenders. He has 16 explosive runs (10 yards or more gained), which ranks eighth in the NFL.
Hubbard "keeps a defense honest," said a pro scout of an NFC team that played the Panthers in the first half of the season. "Good size and vision to run between the tackles; enough speed and agility to be used on outside runs. ... You can't put him in one box [with] what he does well and what he doesn't do well."
ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky said Hubbard has a "really strong lower half, is a smart pass catcher in space [and he] runs with energy." Hubbard's vision and patience help the Panthers stay ahead of the sticks. Historically, he is not the type of player to lose yardage on a carry because of his ability to read blocks, break tackles and power to -- at worst -- the line of scrimmage.
"You're never going to have too many zero-[yard] runs with him, or negative runs; that's the thing I like about him," Panthers run game coordinator Harold Goodwin said last week. "There's really no perfect run every play, but he creates something on every play, so just as long as we get on people [with blocking], he's always going to come out with positive yards."
Hubbard has also improved considerably as a pass blocker and receiver throughout his career. He had seven drops on 37 targets as a rookie in 2021, while mostly filling in for All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey. Hubbard also had a rough three-year stretch from a blitz-pickup perspective from 2022 to 2024.
Those third-down woes impacted his playing time and the fan base's perception of him. So, the Edmonton, Alberta, native worked to improve himself by "chopping the tree every single day."
Preparation is key for 27-year-old RB who 'wants to be able to do everything'
Hubbard has a relentless training regimen, which includes what Idzik calls "the most consistent pre- and post-practice routines I've been around."
Hubbard spends roughly 30 minutes after practice working on the Jugs machine daily, an exercise several teammates, including tight end Tommy Tremble, have embraced over the years.
In the five seasons since his rookie campaign, Hubbard has caught 141 passes for 965 yards and six touchdowns -- with 10 total drops (just one this season), according to ESPN Research -- as a result of the tedious steps he takes throughout the week.
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Hubbard gave up six sacks and 41 pressures in his first four seasons. He has allowed just nine pressures and zero sacks in the 23 games since that stretch.
"I want to be able to do everything, from blocking to catching to running the ball," Hubbard said. "Obviously, that's something that I had to work on a lot and obviously felt the criticism. I told myself, 'I would be wrong if I didn't fix this thing.' Like, I'd be wrong if I didn't put my best foot forward to be the best I can be, especially for myself and my team."
Hubbard has still had ups and downs on the field regardless of his preparation.
Last season, he was effectively benched after a lingering calf injury soured the start of his 2025 season. Fellow running back Rico Dowdle -- now in Pittsburgh -- was signed to a one-year deal to team up with Hubbard, and instead of serving as Hubbard's backup, Dowdle became the primary back throughout the majority of the Panthers' NFC South division championship run last season.
Dowdle finished the 2025 season with 1,076 rushing yards, a career-high 297 receiving yards and seven total touchdowns, despite waning down the stretch. Hubbard collected 511 rushing yards, 223 receiving yards and four total touchdowns, down significantly from his breakout season in 2024.
"I felt like it was one of the hardest years for me in football, and then, I was dealing with stuff outside of football as well, like anyone," Hubbard said. "So, it was just a tough year overall, and it was a mental battle with a lot of different things. A big thing that I realized is that it just brought me closer to God and my faith grew, and I stayed resilient with that."
Despite his midseason demotion, the Panthers played Hubbard more than Dowdle in their wild-card round playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams in January. Dowdle left in free agency in March, and the Panthers doubled down on Hubbard, who was positioned at the top of the depth chart, mostly due to his previous production, his status as a leader and the team's long-term investment in him.
So far, that decision has paid off.
"I worked really hard to get to this point," Hubbard said. "Obviously, you wish things could have went differently at times. I look back and wish I was a lot smarter [with preparation], a lot more poised earlier on [in my career], so that I could have got to this point a lot sooner. ... I feel like I'm really, just these past years, scratching the surface."
Hubbard -- the most productive Canadian-born running back in modern NFL history -- already has more rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, total yards and total touchdowns in eight games this season than he had in all of 2025. And evaluators around the league have noticed his resurgence.
"He's playing well," a high-ranking executive on another NFC team told ESPN. "To his credit, better than I thought he would be coming out [of college] and early in his career. He's got a good blend of speed, burst, power and vision. His overall run demeanor -- toughness and physicality -- is better this year."
Being a Panthers captain just the start of Hubbard's leadership
Hubbard's resolve resonates with his coaches and teammates. When he arrived in Charlotte in 2021, the team's brass saw his temperament and believed that he could be a significant part of its locker room culture.
Longtime long-snapper JJ Jansen, who is the franchise's all-time leader in games played, has seen captains come and go, and to him, Hubbard has lived up to the billing of his rookie scouting report.
"I remember when he was drafted, a couple of the coaches and guys in the front office actually commented on him, of that entire draft class, [Hubbard] had the highest level of leadership qualities," Jansen said. "I think sometimes guys have to learn leadership qualities; other times, just you naturally have it. He's certainly one of those that naturally has it."
McCaffrey, who was traded from Carolina to the San Francisco 49ers during the 2022 season, was effectively the face of the Panthers' franchise when Hubbard arrived as a rookie. McCaffrey noticed Hubbard's determination and was impressed by his younger teammate's grit and willingness to learn.
"He was exactly what you would want," McCaffrey told ESPN in October. "He was so hungry, worked extremely hard. Anything that he got coaching points on, he took them very seriously and worked as hard as he could to get better at them."
Hubbard has been an influence on his younger teammates as McCaffrey was to him.
During OTAs, 2026 first-round pick Monroe Freeling was situated as Hubbard's locker neighbor. In Freeling's first few weeks on the job, he watched Hubbard work tirelessly during a stage of the offseason when most veterans ease into the process of non-padded workouts.
"He was here [during] camp, from the time we had meetings, like 6 [a.m.], to 9 [p.m.] every single day," Freeling recalled. "I remember I'd come back, because we had to have curfew for the hotel, and I'd be walking through the locker room, and he would be doing something in here. ... Just how he attacks every single day and his routine really makes you want to fall behind him and just attack."
Hubbard's coaches are quick to point out his impact on them as well. Hubbard likes to lead by example, but he has no issue being vocal, too. Canales and Idzik use him as a sounding board and a spokesperson for the offense.
"He's also one of the first guys I'll text after the game, and say, 'Hey, that was right. Hey, I'm going to address this in the unit meeting. If you want to hit it beforehand, so it's kind of a layup, and it's kind of a double-down [message], you can go ahead and talk to this guy or this group, too,'" Idzik said. "And he loves that piece of it. He's been that [way] since Day 1."
The teammates who have known Hubbard since he entered the league aren't surprised by his ascension. Though Young is the leader of the offense and the team, Hubbard is the upholder of the program.
"I think it's in his nature," McCaffrey said. "Obviously, I haven't been there for a while to see it all, but the fact that he's a captain now, it shocks me zero."
How the veteran's push for perfection is paying off
Hubbard keeps life simple: "Just God, my family and football."
That three-pronged outlook has gotten him to where he is today. But for much of his life, he was seeking bigger and better things.
That's how he found his love for football.
"At a young age, I was big into track, big into football -- I wanted to just be someone that changed the trajectory of my family and ... I could change all of our lives, and a big thing just stems from that," Hubbard said. "But I wanted to be the difference-maker. And then, I obviously fell in love with football and competing."
Teammates see the lengths to which Hubbard pushes himself, and that drive, in turn, forces them to up their respective games.
"If you're looking for like the kind of outlier superpower for him, it is his competitive fire," said fellow running back AJ Dillon. "Like a lot of people lead in different ways. ... But he's very competitive in the sense of -- he expects the best out of himself and also the room, and then also everybody else as a team collectively."
Hubbard attributes his intensity to his humble beginnings in football.
"I never really had things the easy way," Hubbard said. "I always had to get out the mud somehow: coming from Canada to college and then college to the NFL. I always kind of felt like I was given the short stick or like kind of brushed off. ... So, I just told myself that I'll outwork everyone and that'll be my way to getting success."
Outside of football, Hubbard likes to focus on his fashion brand "Memoria Nomen" (which is Latin for Memorable Name), guitar lessons (he played the ukulele as a child) and traveling the globe. But he has made football, his family and his faith his priorities.
For football, his passion is palpable. And Hubbard wants that fervor to be contagious.
Teammates watched him cheer on Dowdle's success in 2025, even as he was forced to take a backseat. They also saw him befriend and routinely lift up his potential long-term successor, Jonathon Brooks, who is back on the practice field this week after recovering from recent core muscle surgery.
Those actions, even more so than his work ethic, are why he's beloved by the organization. And his push for perfection is what could be the difference for the Panthers on Sunday in New Orleans.
"Obviously, I'm chasing greatness myself, but I know we all are," Hubbard said.
ESPN 49ers reporter Nick Wagoner contributed to this report.