Carolina Panthers’ Offensive Triplets Receive Underwhelming Ranking

The Panthers didn’t exactly get a ringing endorsement when it came to their quarterback, running back and top wideout. However, there’s a very logical reason.

Sep 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) hands off to running back Chuba Hubbard (30) against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first half at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Those who love the game of football and are familiar with the history of the National Football League know of the moniker attached to the Dallas Cowboys’ three-time Super Bowl winning trifecta of quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith, and wide receiver Michael Irvin.

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The three legends, all enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, are known as “The Triplets.” It’s a catch nickname, and it often strikes debates about who was the best quarterback/running back/wideout group on a team in NFL annals?

Where does Carolina’s trio of Bryce Young, Chuba Hubbard, and Tetairoa McMillan rank?

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Spin it forward to this upcoming season and Matt Verderame of SI.com’s ranking of the 32 sets of triplets on the current teams in the league. The Carolina Panthers may have won the NFC South in 2025, but they are far from first on Verderame’s triplets. Not only does he rank quarterback Bryce Young, running back Chuba Hubbard, and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan as the worst trio in the division, they sit at No. 26 on his league list.

“McMillan was a stud as a rookie,” explained Verderame, “and Hubbard was a terrific centerpiece in 2024 before taking a backseat to Rico Dowdle last year. McMillan led all rookie receivers with 1,014 yards, while Hubbard is one season removed from having 1,195 rushing yards and 10 scores. However, Young remains an anchor on the offense, throwing for 3,011 yards on a paltry 6.3 yards per attempt. If he’s not improved, nothing else matters.”

Carolina Panthers’ offensive “triplets” still have a lot to prove

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It’s not hard to see that the NFL analyst feels that the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft has been less-than-overwhelming in three seasons. Young has shown a penchant for late-game heroics, as well as inconsistency.  As for McMillan, while he was the 2025 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, he has obviously played only one NFL season. Perhaps the most dependable of the three is Hubbard, who was improving on a yearly basis before a midseason injury put Dowdle in the spotlight.

As far as the rest of the division, it’s hard to argue the placement of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 12 (Baker Mayfield, Bucky Irving, and Emeka Egbuka), the Atlanta Falcons at 17th (Michael Penix Jr., Bijan Robinson, and Drake London), and the New Orleans Saints at No. 23 (Tyler Shough, Travis Etienne Jr., Chris Olave).

Nevertheless, a highly-productive 2026 season and continued improvement by Dave Canales’s triplets could obviously lead to a higher ranking when the time comes.