Panthers give Canadian running back Chuba Hubbard a 4-year contract extension

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers rewarded running back Chuba Hubbard with a four-year contract extension on Thursday that will keep him with the team through the 2028 season.

Financial terms of the deal were not immediately available.

A 2021 fourth-round draft pick, Hubbard, from Sherwood Park, Alta., is in the midst of his best season with the Panthers (2-7).

He is fifth in the league in yards rushing with 665 and has five touchdowns on the ground while averaging 5 yards per carry. He also has 26 receptions for 108 yards and a TD.

Hubbard ran for 72 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score late in the fourth quarter, in Sunday's 23-22 win over the New Orleans Saints.

Hubbard was set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.

Next up for the Panthers for a contract extension could be cornerback Jaycee Horn, a former first-round draft pick.

The extension comes just as Panthers rookie second-round pick Jonathon Brooks is expected to make his NFL debut on Sunday in Munich against the New York Giants. ___

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Steve Reed, The Associated Press