Cat Scratch Reader
Hello CSR! Welcome to Brian Answers, part two of your weekly Panthers fan mailbag for everyone! You all came in spades with a variety of questions this week, and I think the fanbase as a whole is a buzz with the possibility of actually playing meaningful football in late November/early December. We’ll see how long that lasts, but I am delighted with the participation week to week as we unwrap what exactly this team is. Let’s dive into your questions from this week!
TLGPanthersFan: Panters Gahnta Super Bowl?
I’m not betting on it right now, but the Panthers are certainly in play for a wild card spot. And as the saying goes, once you make the dance, all bets are off. The Panthers certainly have the offensive strength and strategy to win cold playoff games in January. Of course, that assumes they’ll have any offensive linemen left standing by then.
Pantherblueblood: Will Rico, “No Time to Dowdle” be signed to long a term contract before next season?
I don’t expect Carolina to be tending an extension at all during the season to Rico Dowdle. I think they’ll sort that out in the off-season. I also think, like many fellow CSR commenters, paying a running back long term deal money isn’t the best business. That’s not to say Rico hasn’t earned the money and stability of a multi-year deal, but I don’t necessarily see that happening until we see exactly how far this team gets in 2025, and how much Rico Dowdle has to do with it going forward.
schrodingersblackcat: Brian, how do you sort out our RB room this off season? Assuming we don’t trade either Chuba or Rico by 4pm today, what does our backfield look like going into 2026?
If we’re headed into another Double Trouble scenario, will Tilis’ contract wizardry be enough to keep us from sinking the franchise into cap purgatory over the RB position all over again? What about the other RBs on the roster?
Or, more directly: Does it make sense to pay two veteran RBs, and why is the answer no?
Spoiler: the Panthers did not trade either of their running backs this week. Rico Dowdle is on a one year cheap contract, while Chuba Hubbard can be dealt or released following this season for salary cap savings. Over the last two years, the Panthers have paid out about a 3rd of Chuba’s contract via the signing bonus and base salary already paid (per Spotrac), so they aren’t married to him if they don’t want to be.
Personally, I think in the offseason you make a decision between Rico and Chuba, and run with it. Trevor Etienne has showed ability as part of the rotation, Jonathan Brooks is theoretically going to be back in 2026, and the Panthers always have the option to sign a veteran or simply draft another RB next Offseason. I don’t think I would like them running with both Rico and Chuba going into next season on long term...
