Notebook: Key Panthers pass rusher out for the season, Hubbard says he’s ‘110%’
The Carolina Panthers will be without one of their top pass rushers for the rest of the season.
Head coach Dave Canales told reporters Wednesday that Pat Jones II sustained a lower back injury that will not only require surgery but will keep him out for the rest of the year. Jones, who was acquired via free agency, is tied for the team’s highs in sacks (1) and tackles for loss (2).
Canales said Jones finished the game on Sunday against the Cowboys despite feeling a bit of tightness in his back, and that the discomfort was “something we had to reevaluate on Monday.”
“The whole staff was all-hands-on-deck, got some imaging, and (learned that) Pat’s going to need surgery and is going to be out for the season,” Canales said. “It’s a big one for us.”
Canales continued: “I know it may come as a shock because he was playing such awesome football throughout that game and was able to get through it. But it was something, as we continued to evaluate it, and go through our process, it popped up on us, and we thought that the best thing for him at this time was to make sure that we address that.”
Jones signed a two-year, $15 million deal in March, fresh off a career season in Minnesota where he played in 15 games and notched career highs in sacks (seven), tackles (39) and forced fumbles (one).
Canales did not specify who would start in place of Jones at outside linebacker, opting instead to “reveal that on Sunday.” The expected move would be to start NFL veteran DJ Wonnum on one side and rookie Nic Scourton on the other, with fellow rookie Princely Umanmielen getting more early-down opportunities in the absence of Jones.
All this said, Jones not being on the field will be felt by the Panthers, Canales said.
“When he’s in there, he’s such an impactful player for us,” Canales said. “But I wanted to make sure we did the right thing for Pat, and of course his camp, his family, his agent, and people involved there, making the right decision for Pat.”
Scourton, who has learned under Jones throughout his rookie season, agreed with this. The second-round pick added that Jones is a “tough, tough competitor” — and that the news of his absence is a “call to action.”
“We’re behind him, obviously,” Scourton said. “Me, Princely, T.I. (Thomas Incoom) — all of us. We gotta step our game up.”
Said Incoom, who has primarily been a special teams ace but might get more defensive snaps in Jones’s wake: “We trust what the coaches are doing. We trust the game plan involving all four of us. We also got (Boogie Basham) to help the room out. So whatever the coaches go with, you just gotta adjust and play with it.”
Here’s the rest of Wednesday’s notebook.
Patrick Jones II only Panthers player who did not practice
Outside of Jones, the Panthers had an encouraging amount of attendance at Wednesday’s practice. In fact, Jones was the only player who was listed as “did not participate.”
Everyone who didn’t play on Sunday against the Cowboys took part in practice. That included starting right guard Taylor Moton (who was out last week with an elbow injury), as well as starting running back Chuba Hubbard (calf) and defensive lineman Turk Wharton (toe).
Austin Corbett saw his 21-day practice window open on Wednesday. He and wide receiver Jalen Coker both practiced — but are still on the injured reserve and will continue to be so until they get activated to the 53-man roster.
Full injury report: Coker (quad, full participation), Corbett (knee, FP), Akayleb Evans (hamstring, limited participation), Jaycee Horn (shoulder, LP), Hubbard (calf, LP), Taylor Moton (elbow, LP), JT Sanders (ankle, LP), Turk Wharton (toe, LP).
Chuba Hubbard is ‘110%,’ he says
Although Hubbard was limited in practice officially, the Panthers’ starting running back told reporters Wednesday that he felt “110%” and that he expected to play Sunday against the New York Jets.
The news is undoubtedly good for Carolina. Hubbard, after all, is a reliable rusher and backfield-blocker and a leader in the locker room. He finished last season with over 1,000 yards rushing — a season that prompted the Panthers to sign him to a four-year extension.
All this said, his presence in the lineup this weekend will toss fuel onto the question that’s been burning since the emergence of Rico Dowdle the past two weeks:
Who will start?
Dowdle’s accomplishments have been nothing to sneeze at. Against the Miami Dolphins in Week 5, he ran for 206 yards and earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. A week later, against the Dallas Cowboys, Dowdle ran for another 183 yards and added 56 yards and a touchdown receiving — marking a franchise-record 239 yards from scrimmage.
National media has praised Dowdle’s game. His teammates have been effusive about his violent running style. That includes Hubbard, who started over him the first four games of the season, before a calf injury sidelined him.
Hubbard told reporters that starting doesn’t matter to him — that him returning to the lineup and playing at all is a virtue. He told reporters that “any way that I can be there for my teammates, I’ll be there.”
He added specifically about his desire to start: “To be honest, for me, I’m a football player. I love football. I love this team. I love competing. Anytime I get on that field — whether it’s first, last, middle of the game, whenever — I’m going to give it my all.”
Dowdle agreed with his teammate’s sentiment, remarking that “winning” is the top and only priority for him.
Canales even weighed in. The coach, when asked who would start against the Jets on Monday, said “we’ll see.” On Wednesday, more applicably, he was asked if he agreed with the sentiment that certain running backs get better as the game goes on.
“I think it’s a fair statement for all running backs,” Canales responded. Such a circumstance was something that wasn’t possible early on in the season with Hubbard and Dowdle splitting reps.
“They like to get a lather, they like to have rhythm,” Canales continued. “They like to set runs up on the front side, see what they’re doing. You get to the sideline in-between series, you get to look at the pictures and see where the voids are at. Are they overplaying to the front side? Are they hanging back too much? There’s this cat-and-mouse game that happens with backs.”
Canales added that, with all this said, having multiple feature backs challenges each player to play like their next snap could be their last.
“Every single carry is like it’s your last,” Canales said. “Every single one, with the intensity, the violence that we’re looking for. It affects the whole group. So regardless of when those guys go in there, we expect Rico, Chuba and Trevor (Etienne) — when he gets his chances — to go out there and empty the tank on every single run.”
Quote of the day: What Bryce Young said about Jalen Coker as his WR returns
Canales told reporters that “the plan” is for Coker to play on Sunday, but the coach and play-caller didn’t want to declare the second-year receiver’s game status yet before going through a week’s worth of practice.
Qualifiers aside, that is great news for quarterback Bryce Young, who saw Coker — one of the league’s most triumphant underdog stories in 2024 — turn into one of his favorite targets at the end of the last season.
Young was asked about what makes Coker so special in the slot — which was where he was expected to step in after the departure of Adam Thielen this offseason — and Young was effusive.
“It causes a lot of problems,” Young said. “It certainly makes my job easier with the stuff that Jalen brings. All of our Fs (receivers lined up inside the wide receivers) with that too. Our entire group.”
He continued: “Having as much depth in the receiver room, especially the different body types and different play styles that we have, I think that’s a huge luxury.”
Quick hits
- Panthers kicker Ryan Fitzgerald was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week on Wednesday after nailing the walk-off game-winner from 33 yards to deliver the Panthers their 30-27 win over the Cowboys on Sunday. That was a mere part of his perfect day kicking the ball, which also included a 55-yarder. This marks the second time in as many weeks that a Panther was named an NFC player of the week; Dowdle earned the honors as an offensive player Week 5.
- According to Zebra Sports, cornerback Chau Smith-Wade “traveled a total distance of 70.2 yards” to stop Cowboys wideout George Pickens on a 45-yard completion in the fourth quarter. Important context: Pickens wasn’t his assignment, and his touchdown-saving tackle limited Dallas to a field goal on that drive.
- This is just the sixth time in franchise history that Carolina has started at least 3-0 at home, and it’s the first time the team has done so since 2018, according to the Panthers’ weekly game notes.
This story was originally published October 15, 2025 at 4:16 PM.
