With the Carolina Panthers not taking the next step this year, and Chuba Hubbard continuing to look good, when healthy, many teams should be lining up for his services after signing a super team-friendly extension last season. Hubbard took his game to a new level in 2024, averaging 4.8 yards per carry over 250 carries, which resulted in him amassing 1,195 rushing yards. He rushed for ten touchdowns and caught one as well.
The market should be strong for Hubbard’s services, as at his price, he could be brought in to a team with an already established back as a stabilizing backup or starter. For Carolina, it makes sense to get a solid asset back for a running back when they see his replacement, Rico Dowdle, have the same success in this offense. They clearly know what to look for in a running back to make it work at that position.
Chicago Bears
While public opinion is low on D’Andre Swift, it remains to be seen if the Chicago Bears still believe this is the right fit. We have seen Kyle Monangai sparingly, but when he has played, it has gotten the attention of Bears legend Matt Forte.
Swift is having the worst year of his career in terms of efficiency, rushing for just 3.3 yards per carry. Kyle Monangai has run for 62 yards on 17 attempts, but, as Forte said, having so few touches under his belt, it is hard to judge the full potential of his skill set accurately.
Heading into Week 6, Swift is ranked the 29th-best running back in the league based on PFSN’s Running Back Impact metric. He was given a C grade with an RB Impact score of 74.8.
With that being said, bringing in someone like Hubbard could help the Bears salvage a season that is not yet lost by improving their 30th-ranked run game, while also keeping all of their backs fresh. This seems like a great fit to either bring the fire out of Swift or see him somewhere else, either after acquiring Hubbard or this offseason.
Los Angeles Chargers
With the Los Angeles Chargers losing both of their top two running backs, Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris, to injuries, this seems like a practical move to make.
Yes, they did bring in Nyheim Hines, but he hasn’t played in years, so wouldn’t you want to have him in a role like he had in Indianapolis, behind Jonathan Taylor, where their run game was a two-man game and very successful?
Bringing in someone like Hubbard would mean the Chargers could continue to rely on the run game as they have been, and have a really nice running back room moving forward.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans showed some promise last week, capitalizing on some crucial errors by the Cardinals to secure their first win of the season, but this doesn’t leave them without questions to answer.
In bringing in a rookie quarterback, one would think that it would be ideal to have a strong running back to help him get clean looks, but that has been far from the case to this point.
The Titans are 29th in the NFL in rushing, in terms of rush yards per game, and it is safe to say that the Tony Pollard experiment should come to a close as soon as possible. To bring in Hubbard and his modest salary would allow the running back room to breathe new life and excitement for 2026 and beyond.
