Rico Dowdle Has Classy Response To Splitting Carries With Chuba Hubbard

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Gould | Last updated Oct 21, 2025 12:06 PM ET

A red-hot Rico Dowdle saw a reduced workload in Chuba Hubbard's return to the Carolina Panthers.

Dowdle dominated in two games without Hubbard, tallying 473 yards and two touchdowns on 60 touches. Despite those results, Dowdle quickly ceded that bell-cow role when Hubbard returned from a calf injury on Sunday.

The Panthers deployed a backfield tandem in a Week 7 win over the New York Jets. Dowdle drew 18 touches to Hubbard's 16 in a 13-6 victory at MetLife Stadium.

Per Panthers.com's Kassidy Hill, Dowdle offered a diplomatic response to the timeshare after the game.

"We knew we were going to rotate every series, we were going to switch out, going into the game," Dowdle said. "The coach had told us early on in the week, and I think it worked out. We got the win, so it worked."

Oct 12, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) celebrates a first down during the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images© Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Hubbard played more snaps (38) than Dowdle (33), but the latter made more of his opportunities. Dowdle turned 17 carries into 79 yards, adding a 17-yard reception, while Hubbard gained 31 yards on 14 handoffs and caught two of three targets for 24 yards.

Panthers head coach Dave Canales was nevertheless pleased with how the backfield committee unfolded on Sunday.

"It just came out like we thought," Canales said. "We just switched some series and let those guys go out there and play some football for us. So I just thought it was a good day, both guys running physically, running aggressive, and it ended up paying off for us."

Will Panthers maintain backfield tandem?

Carolina's timeshare worked on Sunday against the NFL's only winless teams, but will the Panthers keep splitting the snaps when one option is clearly outperforming the other?

Dowdle exceeded 230 yards in back-to-back games when given a featured role and is averaging 5.6 yards per carry this season. Hubbard, on the other hand, has just 3.7 yards per rush without a single 15-yard gain in 67 carries.

Canales still doesn't sound eager to change his approach. To the chagrin of Dowdle's fantasy managers, he may continue to share reps with Hubbard when the Panthers play the Buffalo Bills in Week 8.

"It felt great for me to know whoever I was calling the run for, I expect great execution out of these guys," Canales said. "Chuba even had a couple of excellent runs on the perimeter with screens and bit out some pretty good yards in that regard too."

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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