Panthers Poised to Shake Up Veteran RB Roles: Insider Secrets Revealed

So, here’s the curious conundrum rocking the Carolina Panthers’ backfield: how do you bench a guy who’s been their go-to running back—and yet keep a replacement who’s been nothing short of a revelation on the field? Rico Dowdle didn’t just fill Chuba Hubbard’s cleats; he’s practically made a new pair that no one dares to hang up. Now, instead of just sticking with one or the other, the Panthers are apparently taking notes from the Lions and Seahawks on splitting carries between two runners—because why settle for one workhorse when you might have a dynamic duo in the making? It’s a strategy sparkling with promise but sprinkled with a dash of skepticism, especially when you consider the Lions’ backfield stars are a notch above what Carolina currently fields. Still, this unexpected backfield chess game is the kind of signal-calling that gets fans—and writers like me—buzzing. Can Dave Canales craft a blueprint that keeps both runners revving without stalling the offense? Fingers crossed, because this offense, much like their record so far, is looking better than most predicted—and that’s got to count for something.

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 12: Rico Dowdle #5 of the Carolina Panthers celebrates after a touchdown during the third quarter against the Dallas Cowboys in the game at Bank of America Stadium on October 12, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. — (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

The Carolina Panthers have a great problem on their hands right now.

They had a starting running back in Chuba Hubbard, but Rico Dowdle has been even better as his replacement.

That’s why, instead of just benching Hubbard now that he’s back to full strength, they want to keep both of them involved, and they will look to take a page out of the Detroit Lions’ offense’s book:

“Schefter: Wanting to play both Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard, the Panthers have studied how the Lions and Seahawks handle their RB split,” per Underdog NFL.

Schefter: Wanting to play both Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard, the Panthers have studied how the Lions and Seahawks handle their RB split.

— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) October 19, 2025

Of course, we should take this with a grain of salt.

The Lions have two legitimate stars at running back in Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, and, with all due respect, that’s not the case with Dave Canales’ team.

Granted, Hubbard has had some big games and is an above-average starter, but Dowdle is currently playing out of his mind, and that level of play simply might not be sustainable.

He’s not going to play the Dallas Cowboys and Matt Eberflus’ defense every day.

The Panthers have looked much better than most people anticipated this season.

Not many people thought they would be sitting on the same record as the Kansas City Chiefs after six weeks, and a win on Sunday would give them the first three-game-winning streak of the Bryce Young era.

That sets the table for them to test out their new running back committee, and it’ll be interesting to see how it works out for Dave Canales.

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