Cleveland just made a thin backfield thinner

The angle here is a Week 3 injury cascade against Cleveland, but no specific Week 3 injuries appear in the material news or injury report — so I can only write to what's grounded: the running back room was already short before that game, and whatever happened in Cleveland landed on top of it.

What I can say is this. Chuba Hubbard is listed active, and he's the only back on this roster with meaningful production from last season — 557 rushing yards and six total touchdowns across 2025. AJ Dillon is the listed starter, but he's been producing at a fraction of what a starting back should. Behind those two, Anthony Tyus III is active, and that's essentially where the depth chart ends in terms of players who've seen the field.

Brooks's surgery — a core muscle procedure that will keep him out at least six weeks — already stripped the room of its most promising piece. The piece I wrote after Week 2 noted there wasn't much behind him to begin with. If Cleveland added to that list, the Panthers are now asking Hubbard to carry a workload he hasn't shouldered since his time as a featured back, behind an offensive line still missing Taylor Moton.

The next few weeks will tell us whether Dave Canales leans into Hubbard as the primary option or spreads the load through the passing game with McMillan and Waller. My read is there isn't a third choice.