The Carolina Panthers May Need a Substantial Upgrade at RB

The Carolina Panthers ran the ball a lot last season. Early on, they had great success, especially while Rico Dowdle was in the throes of his epic "Linsanity" run that included the most scrimmage yards in a two-game stretch ever.

But down the stretch, the run game vanished. Neither Dowdle nor Chuba Hubbard was successful. Heading into 2026, the backfield's not in the best shape, with Hubbard set to be RB1 again with an uncertain backup situation.

Regardless of what the Panthers believe, they very well may need to upgrade and find a better running back for the future.

Panthers should pursue an upgrade at running back in free agency

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) during pregame warm ups before the NFC Wild Card Round game | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Rico Dowdle is a free agent, and he's highly unlikely to return. Chuba Hubbard got a well-deserved extension last season before falling off a cliff this year. Neither of them ranked in PFF's top 20 for the season.

That's not exactly an ideal situation for a team that is constructed to run the ball. Dowdle's exodus leaves an opening for a backup, but the Panthers may want to consider getting someone in free agency that pushes Hubbard to a backup role, thus strengthening the backfield.

Kenneth Walker, PFF's highest-graded running back, is a free agent and is unlikely to be franchise tagged. The Panthers would benefit greatly from signing him and letting him take over RB1 duties with Hubbard keeping him fresh due to his injury history.

"On the year, Walker carried the ball 300 times for 1,480 yards, 971 of which came after contact with 9 touchdowns and 86 missed tackles forced, culminating in a league-leading 91.5 rushing grade," PFF analyst Jim Wyman wrote.

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) runs the ball against Carolina Panthers linebacker Christian Rozeboom | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

If that's too rich for the Panthers' blood (it likely is), then there are other options. The Green Bay Packers may end up cutting Josh Jacobs, the number five back on the list, and he'd be a great addition.

Breece Hall is a free agent, and he was the eighth-highest-graded back in football last season. "The Jets at least ranked in the middle of the pack in PFF rushing grade at 79.6, thanks to Breece Hall‘s efforts," Wyman noted.

Rival RB Rachaad White is also a free agent. He posted an 80.9 PFF grade and would make a nice addition to the Hubbard-led backfield. Finally, the 20th-best RB on this list is J.K. Dobbins, and he actually makes sense.

"Dobbins only had a rushing grade sub-60.0 once all season and never below 50.0. Dobbins also hasn’t fumbled since 2022 and has never lost a fumble in his NFL career," Wyman said.

He'd be a cost-efficient addition, and the Panthers could bring him in without totally upsetting Hubbard. Jonathon Brooks' return is the big wild card, but he's not likely to transform this backfield.

The Panthers want to run the ball down the defense's throat, but they currently don't have the personnel to do that. That might mean that running back is a higher priority than anyone realized.

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