The Carolina Panthers’ approach to splitting carries in the backfield has been a widely and hotly contested subject over the last few weeks. The fanbase has questioned just how fine the line is between loyalty and logic.
After insinuating there may be changes made to the reps distribution, it appears we have an answer.
The Carolina Panthers Choose a Direction
According to reporting from Joe Person of The Athletic, the Panthers are set to have Rico Dowdle handle the lead-back duties out of the backfield, taking the starter role into Week 9.
Person writes, “After splitting carries in the backfield with Chuba Hubbard for the past two weeks, Rico Dowdle will start this week for the Carolina Panthers against the Green Bay Packers and be the team’s featured back, league sources said Friday.”.
We discussed the possibility and implications of this likely move earlier this week, and it’s fair to see how the Panthers reached this decision. That shouldn’t lead one to believe it was a straightforward decision, but rather an essential one in this moment.
How Rico Dowdle Separated Himself as RB1
Dowdle’s 89.0 grade ranks him as the No. 3 running back through the first eight weeks of the season, per PFSN RBi. He has amassed the seventh-most rushing yards in the league, and has done so with the fewest rushes (106) of those seven RBs. He is averaging 5.7 yards per attempt, which marks him as the third-best among qualifying RBs.
One of the more serious, albeit late, decisions Canales has made.
Rico Dowdle has been our best offensive performer this season and should be rewarded.
The locker room will be excited.
I hope Chuba runs angry/hungry when comes in.
Win or lose, I like this posture for us. https://t.co/uzuxsA43hM
— Panthers Culture 🥷🏽 (@PanthersCulture) October 31, 2025
Rico has demonstrated a much more explosive dynamic with he ball in his hands to this point. His sixteen rushes of 10+ yards rank sixth among qualifying backs.
He also holds the advantage over Hubbard in yards after contact per attempt, averaging 3.5, compared to Chuba’s 3.0. As a receiving threat out of the backfield, Dowdle and Hubbard aren’t far apart in total yardage, with 121 yards and 118, respectively. However, the yards per reception favors the new starting back, 9.3 to 7.9.
Dowdle and the Panthers’ offense will face a legitimate litmus test against the Green Bay Packers and their third-best run defense, which is allowing a meager 78.9 yards per game on the ground. The Packers don’t appear to have the same susceptibility, per se, as those superstar performances that Rico enjoyed against the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys in Weeks 5 and 6.
