Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard briefly exited the team’s Week 10 matchup against the New York Giants after he was tackled awkwardly. Here’s the very latest on Hubbard’s status and what he said after the game.
What Happened to Chuba Hubbard?
Hubbard suffered what at first glance appeared to be a knee or ankle injury when he was dragged to the ground by Giants cornerback Dru Phillips in Sunday’s game in Germany.
#NYGvsCAR a hip-drop tackle on Hubbard, or very close to it. No flag. #Giants100 #KeepPounding #NFL pic.twitter.com/0P3m3sIlZs
— nflrefstats (@nflrefstats1) November 10, 2024
In real time, it appeared that Phillips might have gotten Hubbard with a hip-drop or horse-collar tackle – which are both quite dangerous – but ultimately the officials determined the tackle was clean.
Hubbard got hurt after catching a pass from Bryce Young on 1st-and-20 from the Carolina 20. Adding insult to injury, Hubbard lost a fumble on the play.
Will Hubbard Return to the Game?
Hubbard somehow didn’t miss a snap. While it looked bad, he was back on the field just minutes later, which is great news for Carolina.
While some players have complained about the field conditions in past International Series games, Hubbard said after the game that the “grass wasn’t too bad” and actually credited it for preventing a more serious injury.
“I kind of buckled my knee and slipped out,” Hubbard said.
Panthers' running back Chuba Hubbard said the "grass wasn't too bad'' on the field in Munich and that it actually may have saved him when he went down in the second half. "I kind of buckled my knee and slipped out.''
— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) November 10, 2024
Just days after receiving a well-deserved contract extension, Hubbard had a monster game overseas, eclipsing his career-high in rushing yards in a game. He finished the contest with 28 carries for 153 yards and a touchdown while also catching four passes for 16 yards.
Hubbard is clearly the Panthers’ lead running back, and that was the case even before Miles Sanders suffered a significant injury earlier in the game.