Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard was one of the NFL’s breakout stars in 2024. But apparently, he didn’t break out enough to be considered one of the very best at his position.
ESPN kicked off the sixth edition of their annual offseason positional rankings on Monday, beginning with the game’s top rushers. League executives, coaches and scouts were surveyed by the worldwide leader and asked to rank who they believe are the top 10 running backs heading into the 2025 season.
Here’s how the list unfolded . . .
- Saquon Barkley (Philadelphia Eagles)
- Derrick Henry (Baltimore Ravens)
- Jahmyr Gibbs (Detroit Lions)
- Bijan Robinson (Atlanta Falcons)
- Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco 49ers)
- Josh Jacobs (Green Bay Packers)
- Jonathan Tayalor (Indianapolis Colts)
- James Cook (Buffalo Bills)
- Joe Mixon (Houston Texans)
- Alvin Kamara (New Orleans Saints)
So, no, Hubbard did not land in the top 10. In fact, he didn’t even squeeze into the “Honorable Mention” section—which featured Bucky Irving (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Aaron Jones Sr. (Minnesota Vikings), De’Von Achane (Miami Dolphins), Breece Hall (New York Jets) and James Conner (Arizona Cardinals).
He did, however, “receive votes,” right below the “Honorable Mention.” That grouping included Kyren Williams (Los Angeles Rams), David Montgomery (Lions), Brian Robinson Jr. (Washington Commanders), D’Andre Swift (Chicago Bears) and Kenneth Walker III (Seattle Seahawks).
The math might not be “mathing” here for Hubbard, who rushed for the eighth-most yards (1,195) in 2024. The 26-year-old was also one of 11 running backs to record at least 10 rushing touchdowns, even despite missing the final two games of the campaign due to a calf strain.
Hubbard is now entering his fifth NFL season coming off career-highs in carries (250), yards from scrimmage (1,366), total touchdowns (11) and first downs (72).
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Did Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard get snubbed from ESPN’s top-10 list?