Panthers' Dave Canales 'cannot ignore' Rico Dowdle's emergence, hints at bigger workload

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle took the NFL by storm when he filled for an injured Chuba Hubbard earlier this month. Dowdle ended up recording 389 rushing yards in two games as the team's starter while Hubbard was dealing with a calf strain.

With Hubbard back on the field, there have been questions pertaining to how the team will divvy up carries. During Monday's media availability, Panthers coach Dave Canales expressed confidence in both ball carriers, but admitted that Dowdle's success has been hard to ignore.

"Chuba has meant a lot to this organization and certainly to the identity that we want to build our team on. We wanted to give Chuba the opportunity to go out and continue impact our team in a positive way (when he returned)," Canales said. "We cannot ignore the fact that Rico has been exceptional in the couple of games. In the opportunities that he's had over the last two weeks, he's made some excellent plays. Love the tempo and violence that he's running with...These are conversations that we definitely have to have."

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Since seeing an increase in volume when Hubbard was injured, Dowdle has rushed for 522 yards and 6.7 yards per carry to go along with a touchdown. In the two games that Hubbard missed, Dowdle received 53 carries that he turned into rushing performances of 206 and 183 yards, respectively.

In Carolina's 13-6 win against the New York Jets in Week 7, Hubbard made his return and the Panthers have been using both backs since then. 

"Whether it's 70/30, 50/50, 100 my, or 100 Rico's way -- whatever it is, my focus is on winning," Hubbard added, per The Charlotte Observer. "Obviously, this has been a topic of conversation for the last few weeks. But my main focus is never solely about me. It's always about the team and winning teams. So like I said, I pride myself on my work, and just helping my team get what needs to be done. And whatever that looks like, I've always been committed to that since I've been in Carolina."

In two games, Hubbard has carried the ball 16 times for 65 yards (4.0 yards per carry), while Dowdle has tallied 25 attempts for 133 yards (5.3 yards per carry). Hubbard just edged out Dowdle in rushing attempts in Sunday's 40-9 loss to the Buffalo Bills as he registered 12 carries compared to Dowdle's eight.

Based on the past two weeks, Dowdle has been the more productive asset out of the Carolina backfield. However, the Panthers do have Hubbard locked up long-term after signing Hubbard to a four-year, $33.2 million contract extension in November 2024. Meanwhile, Dowdle signed a one-year, $2.75 million deal with the Panthers this past offseason.