Frustration Grows After Years of Losing
The veteran players in Carolina have had enough of the losing. The Panthers haven’t reached the postseason since 2017, which also marks the last time they finished a season with a winning record.
Running back Chuba Hubbard, drafted in 2021, has experienced that struggle firsthand. Over four seasons, he’s been part of just 19 wins and 49 losses. For him, the desire for change is more than justified. “Guys that have been here throughout the years, through the ups and downs, they’re like, ‘Yeah, we’re sick and tired of it,'” Hubbard told Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer last week.
“The new people that we brought in from winning cultures, they’re like, ‘We’re ready. We’re ready to win here.’ So we’re all kind of coming together. Building a good chemistry. The right culture. And it’s all centered around winning.”
Building Around a New Culture
Hubbard secured a new contract midway through last season after a breakout year in which he posted a career-best 1,195 rushing yards and scored 10 touchdowns. As the team’s clear RB1, his performance stood out amid an otherwise disappointing season.
With the free-agent signing of Rico Dowdle and the addition of Trevor Etienne in the fourth round of the draft, Hubbard’s workload in the backfield may lighten, but he remains the primary option. As the Panthers enter Year 2 under head coach Dave Canales, a renewed focus on winning has taken center stage.
Veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen echoed Hubbard’s sentiments, reflecting a broader shift in mindset throughout the locker room. “I think guys are finally sick of being the same ol’, same ol’ Carolina Panthers,” he said last week.
“I think we want to get back to what they did here in the past, in 2015 (when Carolina made the Super Bowl) and some of those other years when they had deep playoff runs and had the crowd involved and the city hyped up. We haven’t had that.”
Aiming Higher in 2025
Though every NFL team enters the season with championship aspirations, for the Panthers, the focus is on regaining respect and competitiveness, starting with playoff contention.
“If the goal isn’t to make the playoffs and win a Super Bowl, you’re selling yourself short,” Hubbard said. “So that’s always been the goal. That’s the goal this year. And I think we’re the closest we’ve ever been.”
If quarterback Bryce Young continues to develop under Canales’ guidance, the offense progresses, and the defense rebounds from its struggles, Carolina has a realistic shot at contending for the NFC South crown.
