After missing the playoffs for six straight seasons, the Carolina Panthers could use some good news in the form of a breakout star. They would also like quarterback Bryce Young to develop into a capable NFL starter. But before those things happen, it’s time to focus on the two biggest Panthers' training camp battles to watch ahead of the 2024 NFL season.
At the forefront of these competitions is the running back position, where Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders square off for the bulk of the carries. Looking only at last year’s numbers, Hubbard holds a big edge going into camp.
Hubbard, a fourth-round pick in 2021, found his stride last season with 902 yards rushing and five scores (for an offense that didn’t reach the end zone very often). He also added 39 catches for 233 yards.
Does Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard have an edge?
Certainly, Hubbard caught the eye of new coach Dave Canales, who told si.com he likes the way Hubbard runs with the football.
“He means it,” Canales said. “He runs angry and he runs with the style that we want to be about, so I can’t wait to give Chuba those opportunities — really champion those kind of guys that bring that kind of toughness.”
And this comes from a coach who said he wants to commit to the ground game.
“I wish I had more models to go off, but fortunately I have the model in Seattle and in Tampa, we made sure that we established our mentality, our core runs that are important to us and then it gets really specific with who our blockers are, who our runners are,” Canales said. “That commitment to me is the formula that I’ve seen work to make us competitive. It challenges both sides of it.”
Also in the mix is Jonathon Brooks, the second-round in the 2024 NFL Draft.
However, Brooks tore his ACL while playing for the University of Texas late last season. He’s not ready to join in the fray for training camp as the Panthers recently placed him on the non-football injury list. Because his football-field injury occurred before joining the NFL, Brooks is eligible for that list and can be activated at any point during the preseason or regular season.
And, by the way, the Panthers also brought Rashaad Penny into camp. But it’s hard to imagine him making a big impact at this point in his career even if he makes the squad.
So where does that leave Sanders? First of all, he’s probably staying in Carolina — at least until Brooks is ready to make a splash. Sanders’ $7.7 million cap hit is the fifth-most in the NFL at the running back position. One possible exit would be a trade, and Sanders might hold enough value for the Panthers to consider that route.
But who knows? Maybe he will become the Week 1 starter. Sanders looks to recapture the magic from 2019 when he had an impressive rookie season with the Eagles. He racked up 1,367 total yards and scored six touchdowns while finishing fourth in the AP offensive rookie of the year voting. He added a Pro Bowl season in 2022 with 1,269 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns.
However, Sanders wound up with the Panthers last year and the results didn’t turn out so hot. He averaged a paltry 3.3 yards per carry and finished with 432 yards rushing.
What about the battle at wide receiver?
The Panthers are set at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots with veteran standouts Adam Thielen and Diontae Johnson. That’s actually not a bad one-two punch going into the season.
But who grabs the role as the No. 3? It appears to be a locked-in competition between first-round pick Xavier Legette and Jonathan Mingo.
First things first, Mingo showed flashes last season. He caught 43 balls for 417 yards from a quarterback who seemed overmatched against NFL defenses. Mingo has helped his cause with training camp performances, Canales told panthers.com.
“You see Mingo, Terrace Marshall really showing who they are,” Canales said. “I've really seen those guys come through, and when we can depend on them. So it's a really good room, it's a really good competition, some different styles of players. We talk about creating that competition and challenging every position—and that’s exactly what we want. We wanna make sure everybody’s pursuin’ their best. They’re just focusing on their execution and we’re getting good execution out of those guys right now.”
Canales told athlonsports.com that Mingo has gained confidence.
“Confidence comes with just knowing what we're doing, the plays,” Canales said. “He learned how to play in the NFL, how to prep and you just can see it in his play. When he shows up and he's all of his size, he's all of his speed. He's such a smart guy. He's conscientious. I just really feel a great confidence about him coming into this camp and I'm excited to see what he does.”
Mingo’s size — 6-2, 220 pounds — adds value to his role on the team. But his competition is big, too. Legette brings a 6-3, 227-pound frame to the table.
Legette’s hamstring injury didn’t help his cause. Rookies need every chance they can get to make an impression. Canales told pantherswire.com he doesn’t think Legette has fallen behind because of the previous injury.
“It’s just a matter of I would love for the guys on our team to earn their place, to earn those valuable reps,” Canales said. “And he’s getting a lot of work. There’s a measure for all the young guys—show us. Show us you’re working hard. Show us you’re doing all the things the right way so that we can go in with full confidence and trust.”
Marshall also factors into the equation, but the starting role will likely go to Mingo or Legette.
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