Panthers’ Chuba Hubbard has a goal for next season and thoughts on the Ben McAdoo hire
When the Panthers drafted running back Chuba Hubbard in the 2021 NFL draft, they envisioned him being a complement to Christian McCaffrey.
But after McCaffrey suffered a hamstring injury that caused him to miss the next five weeks, Carolina needed the rookie to be more than that. He was immediately thrust into the starter role.
Hubbard did some good things last season. He led the Panthers with 612 rushing yards and was tied for the team lead with five rushing touchdowns.
But Hubbard can’t help but feel there was more he could have done in the Panthers’ 5-12 season.
As Hubbard heads into his first full offseason with the Panthers, he’s trying to improve on his rookie year. Hubbard was in Los Angeles last week for the Panini NFL Rookie Closeout event, where he is partnering with Panini America, the NFL and NFLPA’s exclusive trading card partner to sign his rookie card for fans.
The Observer spoke with Hubbard about this past season, what he’ll do in the offseason and his goals for 2022. The interview has been edited for clarity:
Jonathan M. Alexander: What’s it like seeing your own rookie NFL trading card?
Chuba Hubbard: It’s real cool and it’s a blessing. To think I have my own card and people are buying it, and buying my signature, it’s crazy. From being a young kid, you always used to go in the stores and see the baseball cards or the football cards, the basketball cards and be like, “Dang, I want to get a pack of that.” The fact that you can get a pack, and I’ll be in it now, it’s crazy.
JA: Did you ever have any trading cards?
CH: I used to have the little folders of Pokemon cards, little binders. Yu-Gi-Oh! too. I used to play all that when I was a little kid.
JA: I’ve got some in binders in a closet somewhere at my parents’ house. Anyway, what have you been up to this offseason?
CH: Pretty much just letting my body rest, recover. Any nicks and bruises, bumps, taking care of the little things. I ain’t going to lie, I’m enjoying myself a little bit. Going on vacation, enjoying the fruits of my labor. Visiting my family. I haven’t been home (to Canada) in a minute.
JA: Christian goes down twice during the season and you had to be thrust into the starting role immediately. What was that like for you?
CH: One thing I think is true to life, is everybody gets at least one chance and it’s up to you to be ready for that. It could come tomorrow, it can come in five years, but you’ve just got to be ready. My mindset coming in was, “I want to be a starter” and “I’m going to prepare like a starter.” Christian and all the guys helped me do that. Obviously when he got hurt, it was unfortunate, but I was ready to play.
Going back from being a starter to special teams to special teams and then back to starter definitely had its ups and downs, but it was just keeping a level head and preparing the same way every week.
JA: How would you assess your rookie year?
CH: To be honest, I felt like I just left a lot on the table. I obviously had highs and lows. That’s just how the season goes, but I just felt like I left a lot on the table. So this offseason I can just really work on the things I can work on and go from there. Next season, I know Year Two will be a lot better. It will be great.
JA: What do you mean when you say you left a lot on the table? What did you leave in particular?
CH: I just feel that me as a player, I’m a playmaker, and I felt I could have made a lot more plays. But being a rookie sometimes you’re just thinking too much, worry about the play. I felt like I did a good job handling everything, but obviously with time comes maturity and confidence. So I think next year, I’ll just build on the foundation I made last year and I’ll only be better.
JA: What are your goals for 2022?
CH: Super Bowl. I kind of keep my individual goals to myself, but that’s my main goal. Win a Super Bowl.
JA: How was it to lose an offensive coordinator in the middle of a season?
CH: Yeah, it was just a year of handling adversity. The last two years, obviously dealing with COVID, we switched offensive coordinators, we had multiple different QBs, people going in and out because of COVID. It was just a lot of adversity. But the big thing in the NFL is that you’re a professional. You’ve got to be ready to show up every day. No matter if we have an offensive coordinator, if we don’t, don’t matter if they have to bring in somebody we don’t know, we’ve got to make it work.
And Coach (Jeff) Nixon did a great job. Obviously that’s my guy. Great guy, great coach, very smart.
JA: What do you all have to do better next season?
CH: I felt like last year, there were so many games that should have went our way but it just didn’t. That just comes from the little things, I believe. We just have to go back to the fundamentals. Go back to the little things and build up from the foundation we made this year.
JA: What do you think about the new hire at offensive coordinator, Ben McAdoo?
CH: I didn’t know much about him. I haven’t met him yet. I’m sure I’ll meet him soon. But I think it’s a great hire. I don’t know too much about coaches, but I know Coach Rhule and everybody on our staff has their mind in the right spot. I know whoever they are hiring is the right guy.
I’m honestly just excited to get this team on the right track and to prove everybody wrong. Everybody can say this and that about us, and about coach, but we’re ready for (next) season.
JA: Do you have anything else coming up this summer that you plan to do?
CH: Yeah, I plan on dropping my clothing line this summer
JA: Oh, I didn’t know you had a clothing line.
CH: I’m making it now. I plan on dropping my merch. Football merch. Doing a bunch of stuff with my non-profit, doing a couple of camps back in Canada, hopefully do a camp for some kids in Charlotte.
JA: Tell me about this clothing line you’ve got.
CH: I’m keeping it very discrete. For me, I’ve always had a love for clothes, especially being young and not really having the money for it. It’s always something I’ve had a passion for.
It’s a clothing line that will be kind of like a luxurious brand but will be affordable for athletes that can’t afford high-end stuff, kind of like when I was when I was younger. It’s kind of like a clothing line that’s a testament of my life.
My life through clothes.
This story was originally published February 2, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
