"The most obvious tank job": NFL fans in shambles Chuba Hubbard's impressive season comes to an end in sudden move

Chuba Hubbard might have been the most consistent player for the Carolina Panthers all season long, but his fourth-month contribution has come to an end. The running back was placed on injured reserve hardly more than a week before the end of the Panthers season, per Adam Schefter on Twitter/X on Saturday.

Many fans didn't take the news well, with the most affected seemingly reacting negatively.

"The most obvious tank job," one claimed.

"Noooooooo," one cried out.

"Andy Dalton going to have to play RB this week," one joked.

While most fans had a negative gut reaction, others were much more composed.

"Thanks for great season Chuba! Get well soon," one said.

"A bright spot in a dark season. It's a shame. Hope it's not serious," another summarized.

"Thanks for the great fantasy season. Throwing you on the IR. You deserve to be on a championship team," a fan said.

With Hubbard out, the backfield is set to feature a mix of Raheem Blackshear and Mike Boone, with perhaps a dash of Velus Jones Jr. for the remainder of the year. The Panthers are out of the playoff hunt and just relative moments after their biggest win of the season, they suffer another big loss with Hubbard.

Chuba Hubbard's season ends following brightest moment

Chuba Hubbard at Arizona Cardinals v Carolina Panthers - Source: Getty

The Panthers running back's darkest moment came following his brightest one. In Week 16, Hubbard's Panthers faced the Arizona Cardinals, who had led the NFC West at one point earlier this year.

The Carolina Panthers won the game in overtime on the back of Hubbard as he piled up 25 carries for 152 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. The performance was spotlighted nationwide, and just days later, he was announced as the Week 16 Offensive Player of the Week.

Now, the running back must work through a calf strain, per Adam Schefter. According to Schefter, the injury was a Grade 2 strain discovered via an MRI on Friday.

Now, the Panthers will have a decision to make going into 2025: whether they should keep the dual backfield of Miles Sanders and Chuba Hubbard as is or switch things up.

Hubbard and Sanders are now working under second deals with multiple years left, so a switch would take some prying. Put simply, the 2025 preseason starting competition could be one to watch.