What Dave Canales said about Carolina Panthers' Rico Dowdle-Chuba Hubbard conundrum

Rico Dowdle came to the rescue for the Carolina Panthers in Week 5 after Chuba Hubbard was ruled out with his calf injury.

Dowdle went nuclear in the 27-24 victory over the Miami Dolphins, with the South Carolina product rushing for over 200 yards and a touchdown while adding three catches for 28 yards.

With Dowdle going off in Week 5, many are wondering if he'll garner a bigger role upon Hubbard's return. Prior to his huge showing on Sunday, Dowdle played a clear second fiddle to Hubbard, which was expected when he signed in free agency.

When asked about Dowdle maybe seeing an increased role, head coach Dave Canales gave the diplomatic answer.

“What I take from it is we have two good backs, and so we’ll have to figure that part out,” he said, per The Athletic's Joe Person. “That’s a good problem to have. But it’s something we have to work through.”

Dowdle's performance was easily the best one the team has seen from a running back this season. Prior to his injury, Hubbard only averaged 54.3 yards per game and 4.1 yards per carry. Dowdle nearly had more rushing yards in one game than Hubbard has totaled in four.

While Dowdle could see an uptick in work, his chances of totally surpassing Hubbard on the depth chart after just one fantastic game are still extremely slim.

After all, Hubbard is coming off a career-best campaign in 2024 and the Panthers have a lot of money invested in him after the team inked Hubbard to a four-year, $33.2 million deal last year.

As we wait to see how the Panthers' running back situation unfolds upon Hubbard's return, there remains a chance we won't see that in Week 6, as the veteran running back is uncertain to play.

That means Dowdle could be in for another lead role on Sunday, when the Panthers take on the Dallas Cowboys, who let Dowdle walk in free agency during the offseason.

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