Chuba Hubbard Injury Update Causes Doubt for Dolphins-Panthers Game

• Chuba Hubbard is dealing with a calf injury before Sunday's game vs. Miami Dolphins.
• Head coach Dave Canales said the running back is currently listed as "day-to-day" with the injury.
• Hubbard missed practice for a second straight day on Thursday, Oct. 2.

When the Carolina Panthers square off against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Oct. 5, they'll be without one of the team's best offensive weapons.

Running back Chuba Hubbard is dealing with a calf injury - similar to the one that cost him two games during the 2024 NFL season, according to a report from Joe Person of The Athletic. The running back received a season-low 50.7% of offensive snaps against the New England Patriots last weekend, which led head coach Dave Canales to suggest that Hubbard was worse off after the game.

“He was able to play and still played at a high level, the way we expect him to play, and ran the ball hard all the way through it,” Canales said. “Coming out of it, we just didn’t feel like he was in a really good — wasn’t in a better spot coming out of the game than he was the week before. So we’re going to treat that day to day.”

Person reported that Hubbard will miss Sunday's game against the Dolphins and is seen as "week-to-week" despite Canales suggesting the running back is "day-to-day" following the calf injury. Hubbard leads the team with 217 yards rushing on 53 attempts and has added 94 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

With Hubbard expected to miss Sunday's game, backup running back Rico Dowdle will likely get the bulk of the work. Coming off of his first 1,000-yard season with the Dallas Cowboys in 2024, Dowdle, who signed a one-year deal worth $2.75 million guaranteed, is ready to show he's capable of carrying the load.

“Last year was just showing that I was able to do it when given the opportunity and the chance to do it,” Dowdle said Thursday. “Definitely want to continue to build off of it, but that was last year. I’m here now on a new team, new faces."

Dowdle is second on the team in rushing with 83 yards and a touchdown on the ground while adding 20 yards on five receptions.

Carolina and Miami kick off at 1 p.m. ET with the game being broadcast on Fox.