Carolina Panthers Place Chuba Hubbard on Injured Reserve List, Ending Career Season

Chuba Hubbard’s career season will end in unceremonious fashion.

The Carolina Panthers placed the former Oklahoma State All-American running back on injured reserve, the team announced on Saturday. Just a week after earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week, Hubbard was listed as questionable for the Panthers’ Week 17 game against Tampa Bay. He was limited in practice with a knee injury and also reportedly has a calf injury.

Neither injury is considered major and it appears that the Panthers, which are 4-11 and ranked last in the NFC South, are trying to play it safe for the final two weeks of the season.

In his final appearance of the season, Hubbard carried 25 handoffs for 152 yards and two scores, including the overtime game-winner. His fourth 100-yard outing of the season earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

Hubbard ends his fourth NFL season with 1,195 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. He also caught 43 passes for 171 yards and a score. As of writing, Hubbard is ranks sixth in the NFL in rushing yards and yards per game (79.7) and seventh in touches (293).

He became the first Oklahoma State alum to reach 1,000 rushing yards since Chris Carson in 2019 and just second Canadian to do so, the first since 1986. Originally drafted by the Panthers in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Hubbard’s career year earned him a four-year, $33.2 million contract extension last month.