The Panthers have agreed to a four-year, $33.2 million extension with RB Chuba Hubbard. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the deal includes $15 million in guarantees and a max value of $37.2 million.
2024 Fantasy Football Impact
This type of money clearly points to Hubbard at least remaining the lead back for the rest of this season. It also positions him as Carolina's likely backfield touch leader into 2025.
Only eight RBs currently sport larger annual average salaries than the $8.3 million on Hubbard's new pact.
Hubbard ranks 17th in the league in carries per game this season, 13th in rushing yards per game, 10th (among qualifiers) in yards per carry, and fourth in rushing success rate.
Expect RB2 value with weekly RB1 upside the rest of this season.
Dynasty Impact
The biggest fantasy question here is what to make of RB Jonathon Brooks going forward.
Rewarding a player who has been among this season's few Panthers highlights makes sense. But throwing fairly big money at a RB less than a year after taking the first RB in the draft ... makes less sense.
Brooks' fantasy outlook obviously takes a hit.
That said, we've already seen Hubbard overtake a higher-priced veteran in the Carolina backfield.
Miles Sanders signed at a $6.35 million annual average ahead of the 2023 season. He then watched Hubbard beat him across categories that year, and beat him by even more in 2024.
Hubbard's dynasty stock gets at least a slight boost just for the certainty of a new contract and team investment. But don't give up on Brooks yet either.
We'll see how much the rookie's able -- and allowed -- to play this year.