
Chuba Hubbard, the Canadian NFL player who made a name for himself as a standout running back for the Carolina Panthers, has been sidelined for the final two games of the season due to a calf injury. The team announced that Hubbard has been placed on injured reserve, ending his rookie season prematurely.
Hubbard, who hails from Sherwood Park, Alberta, was drafted by the Panthers in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He quickly made an impact on the team, filling in admirably for star running back Christian McCaffrey when he went down with injuries throughout the season.
Unfortunately, Hubbard’s promising rookie campaign has come to an abrupt end with this calf injury. The Panthers have not disclosed the severity of the injury or how long Hubbard is expected to be out, but placing him on injured reserve means he will miss at least the final two games of the regular season.
Despite this setback, Hubbard has shown flashes of his potential throughout the season, rushing for 515 yards and three touchdowns on 134 carries. He also added 26 receptions for 173 yards and a touchdown through the air.
Panthers head coach Matt Rhule expressed disappointment over Hubbard’s injury but praised the rookie for his contributions to the team this season. “Chuba has been a valuable member of our team and has shown great promise as a young player in this league,” Rhule said in a statement. “We will miss his presence on the field, but we know he will work hard to recover and come back stronger next season.”
As Hubbard begins his road to recovery, Panthers fans can look forward to seeing him back on the field next season, hopefully fully healthy and ready to build on the promising start to his NFL career. In the meantime, the team will rely on other running backs to fill the void left by Hubbard’s absence as they close out the season.