Carolina Panthers gain one offensive star but lose another to hamstring injury
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Chuba Hubbard, the Carolina Panthers’ starting running back, has sustained a hamstring injury.
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Panthers coach Dave Canales made that announcement after Thursday’s practice, but added he was “very confident” Hubbard would be ready for the regular-season opener at home vs. Chicago on Sept. 13.
Said Canales on Hubbard’s injury: “We got an MRI on it. He’s got a hamstring. It’s a legit hamstring. It’s week to week right now, the way we see it…. We’re going to get him some treatment. Very confident he’ll be ready for Game One (of the regular season). Trying to get him out there sooner than that. But again, we’ll be smart about it. We’ll get him back in the appropriate time.”
With Hubbard out for Saturday’s exhibition at Buffalo, running back Jonathon Brooks will start in his place. Brooks has had an injury-plagued start to his career but is expected to have quite an impact in 2026, if he can stay healthy. The starters on both sides of the ball are expected to play around 10-20 snaps Saturday; most will probably be out of the game after the first quarter.
Chuba Hubbard has a hamstring injury; Canales is “very confident” he will be ready for Week 1. pic.twitter.com/QzjHxdjzLh
Meanwhile, new Carolina tight end Darren Waller wasn’t at practice because he needed to do his onboarding and pass his physical. Waller agreed to terms Wednesday to provide the Panthers another threat at the tight end position. It appears likely his first practice will be Monday; he certainly won’t play in the Buffalo.
Said Canales of Waller: “He’s fast. He’s 6-foot-6 and a half. So he really creates a dynamic possibility. And again, this is a competition. He knows that. He understands that’s part of this deal and how we’re trying to challenge our roster. So — talked to him last night and, you know, he’s fired up to come here to meet the guys.”
Canales said none of the current crop of tight ends — led by starter Tommy Tremble — is injured and that Waller’s signing wasn’t the result of being short on numbers at the position. But it is true Carolina has struggled to find consistency at the tight end position since Greg Olsen’s career ended at Carolina after the 2019 season.
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“Just watching him over the years,” Canales said of Waller, “he had a fantastic game here when they came last season (5 catches, 78 yards and a touchdown) and made some big plays against us. Again, just on brand with Dan (Morgan, the Panthers’ general manager) and I — just looking for ways to challenge our roster, challenge our rooms, bring different types of talent into the rooms to really challenge the group and see what we have there. And we felt like he was a good fit.”
Waller turns 34 on opening day — Sept. 13th — and his best seasons came many years ago. In 2019 and 2020, with the Raiders, he had more than 1,100 receiving yards two seasons in a row. He retired for the 2024 season, then un-retired for 2025 and had an on-and-off year with the Miami Dolphins (only 24 catches, but six went for TDs).
Hubbard’s injury occurred Wednesday during a pass drill. “It was in one-on-ones, running a choice route,” Canales said. “(The hamstring) grabbed on him a little bit. We shut him down for the rest of the day, let it calm down and got some imaging today so we had more information.”
Hubbard led the Panthers in rushing in 2024, with a career-best 1195 rushing yards and 10 rushing TDs.
In 2025, Hubbard’s role diminished as Rico Dowdle’s star rose, but he still had 511 rushing yards splitting time with Dowdle. With Dowdle departing for a lucrative free-agent contract in Pittsburgh, Hubbard has returned to his No. 1 slot that Brooks will temporarily assume for most or all of the preseason. After Brooks, the next running back to play Saturday will be Trevor Etienne.
As far as the quarterback rotation Saturday for the 1 p.m. preseason game in Buffalo, Canales said Bryce Young would play most or all of the first quarter. Kenny Pickett wwill then come in and play for all of the second and most or all of the third quarter. Third-stringer Kyle Trask will get his first action with the Panthers sometime in the second half. Haynes King, the star of the Panthers’ last-play win in the Hall of Fame exhibition, is out due to injury.
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This story was originally published August 13, 2026 at 12:20 PM.
