Panthers budding star named Pro Bowl sleeper

While the Carolina Panthers' season hasn't gone the way they'd hoped thus far, one silver lining remains: the emergence of running back Chuba Hubbard. Hubbard's breakout year seems to have arrived, as he's rushed for 818 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 5.1 yards per carry. He's also caught 30 passes for 124 yards and another touchdown, further proving he can do it all.

Hubbard was rewarded with a four year, $33.2 million deal before his 153 yard, one touchdown performance in Week 1. With seven games to go, he's definitely going to reach 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career if things keep trending upwards. With that comes league-wide recognition and potential accolades to add to his resume.

Kevin Patra of NFL.com listed his Pro Bowl sleepers for 2024, with Hubbard coming in as the first offensive player mentioned.

Check in on pretty much any running back metric in 2024, and you'll find Hubbard's name nestled in among perennial Pro Bowlers. Hubbard ranks third in rush yards (818), fifth in carries (161), tied for eighth in rushing touchdowns (six), fifth in rushing success rate (56.5), and sixth in yards per game (81.8). Let's go beyond counting stats: Among RBs with at least 100 carries this season, Hubbard ranks third in rush yards over expected (214), fourth in rush yards over expected per carry (1.4), first in percentage of runs over expected (49.4%), fifth in rush EPA (0.8), fifth in first downs (40) and tied for second in first downs over expected (seven).

The numbers speak for themselves, Hubbard's placed himself among the league's best. For a Panthers team that hasn't had much success this season, a potential Pro Bowler on their roster would certainly boost morale and give some momentum heading into 2025.