Chuba Hubbard, Jonathon Brooks Lead Panthers' Biggest Weakness and Concern

Two things have typically been true of the best Carolina Panthers teams: they've had a strong defense and a good running game. The 2010s Panthers had great defenses and run games bolstered by Cam Newton.

The 2000s Panthers had the dynamic duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, and there have been other examples. Good defense and a stout running game are a winning combination in the NFL.

The Panthers may have a good defense. They probably will. That just leaves the running game. Unfortunately, it's not very good. It might be the Panthers' biggest weakness, which is a huge concern.

Panthers' running back room deemed the biggest weakness

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (25) walks off the field during the first day | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Panthers have done a lot of work to upgrade weak spots in the last few years. They've bolstered an awful offensive line and made it a good unit. Despite some busts, the wide receiver additions over the years have added up.

The defensive line has reinforcements now, too. The one group they haven't really addressed and that remains a glaring weakness is tight end, but the Panthers' offensive scheme doesn't really use tight ends.

So with that in mind, ESPN's Mike Clay claimed that running back is the biggest weakness on this roster, which interestingly ranked 24th overall in the NFL. That's far too low, but it's a story for another time.

"Chuba Hubbard returns after a rough 2025 season in which he battled injuries and ineffectiveness while losing lead back duties to Rico Dowdle," Mike Clay wrote.

"With Dowdle gone, 2024 second-rounder Jonathon Brooks (three appearances in two seasons due to a pair of torn ACLs) will battle for work and provides youth and potential, as does 2025 fourth-round pick Trevor Etienne," he continued.

Clay said there's belief and hope that this group can be solid, but "its unproven nature makes it an obvious concern area." That would ordinarily be pretty bad news, but for the Panthers, it's much worse.

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) makes a catch | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Carolina is a run-first team, and even though Bryce Young deserves more trust from the coaches, he is certainly not the caliber of quarterback who can carry a bad offense week in and week out. The alternative, which is to have Young air it out all day every day, is not great.

The Panthers need to be able to run the ball, but as Clay so accurately pointed out, that may not be as easy as it's been for past Panthers teams, which is a huge concern for the upcoming season.

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