Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard is week-to-week with a hamstring injury, HC Dave Canales said Thursday. The team is confident that Hubbard will be ready for Week 1, which is exactly one month away. But his absence gives RB Jonathon Brooks even more opportunity to carve out an early-season role.
2026 Fantasy Football Impact: Draft Brooks Over Hubbard
Brooks has had an awesome offseason by all accounts, but we still viewed Hubbard as a pretty safe bet to open the season as Carolina's lead back.
That bet looks much shakier now. We'll see when Hubbard is able to get back on the field, but Brooks should get a chance to dominate first-team work in training camp. He's also slated to start Carolina's preseason opener vs. the Bills on Saturday, which will be his first preseason action as a pro.
Brooks already offered more upside than Hubbard, and at this point we'd have no issue drafting Brooks ahead of his backfield mate.
