What to do about the Carolina Panthers' messy backfield

What do the Carolina Panthers do with their backfield? It's overstuffed as it is, and Rico Dowdle, their most productive back in 2025, is a pending free agent. There are choices to be made.

You could make the argument that Hubbard is more talented because we've seen more high-end production from him, and Dowdle really tapered off this year, but the numbers don't lie.

Plus, the Panthers may or may not re-sign Dowdle. He apparently isn't opposed to a reunion despite how things ended in 2025.

Morgan said he had a good meeting with Rico Dowdle, adding Rico didn’t give him indication he was definitely looking to move on.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) January 13, 2026

Even excluding him, that leaves Hubbard, Trevor Etienne, and Jonathon Brooks fresh off his second ACL tear. What do the Panthers do?

How to fix Panthers' backfield problems

The first step toward fixing the backfield is to not re-sign Rico Dowdle. Whether or not he's better than Chuba Hubbard is irrelevant. Hubbard's locked down. Dowdle is a free agent.

Plus, they both showcased that they're not exactly capable of overcoming bad offensive line play. Dowdle posted a graphic about the line's performance, but it also illustrates that he couldn't get yards after contact, either.

Therefore, the Panthers can't afford to devote probably around $13 to $16 million per year on Hubbard and Dowdle, not when they also have other backs.

Trevor Etienne is there, as is Jonathon Brooks. There's no telling what shape Brooks is going to be in when he returns, but he is a more promising talent than Etienne.

It won't happen like this, but the Panthers should probably trade Etienne at some point. He's not a good enough returner to justify being there. He doesn't provide anything special for the run game, either.

If Brooks is not ever able to get back to speed, then he can go as well or be the RB3. Between him and Hubbard, the Panthers need a pass-catching back. Hubbard drops way too many passes, and they don't have a genuine change of pace.

That's part of why they can't keep Dowdle. He and Hubbard are virtually the same type of runner, so there is no changeup within their arsenal. They need someone with speed and who can catch. For now, there are too many bodies to really get that, but it should be in the future plans.

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