Chuba Hubbard’s optimism is exactly what you’d expect from a young running back entering his prime. The Carolina Panthers are coming off a rocky season, but with offseason changes, a new coaching staff, and a healthy dose of belief, Hubbard recently declared he sees “no reason why we can’t go all the way.” For a team that finished with the worst record in the NFL last season, it was the kind of bold optimism that energizes a fanbase desperate for hope. However, not everyone is buying in. In fact, one NFL insider wasn’t just skeptical—he was downright dismissive.
According to the insider, who spoke on the condition of anonymity during a national radio hit, the idea of the Panthers making a Super Bowl run in 2025 is “not even close to realistic.” He didn’t mince words. “You love the fire, the confidence, the internal belief. But come on,” he said. “This team has a second-year quarterback who struggled, a first-year head coach trying to rebuild a culture, and they play in a division that—while weak—is still loaded with questions for Carolina. Let’s not pretend we’re one year removed from the NFC Championship here.”
The Panthers are undoubtedly in the early stages of a rebuild. Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, endured a difficult rookie season behind a porous offensive line, inconsistent playcalling, and a lack of dependable weapons outside of Adam Thielen. Even Hubbard’s own role evolved largely because of necessity. As the team cycled through schemes and personnel in an attempt to spark something offensively, Hubbard emerged as a bright spot, rushing for over 900 yards despite the dysfunction.
But bright spots don’t equal Super Bowl trajectories, at least not in the eyes of league insiders. There’s a fine line between hope and delusion in the NFL, and some believe Hubbard may have blurred that line with his recent comments. The insider continued: “Look, I get it. You want to set the tone, say the right things, believe in your guys. But there’s a difference between saying ‘We’re gonna be better,’ and saying, ‘We’re going to win it all.’ You’ve got teams like the 49ers, Eagles, Lions, Cowboys—even the Packers now—who are light-years ahead of Carolina. They’ve got talent, depth, experience. Carolina’s still trying to figure out who they are.”
To be fair to Hubbard, it’s not the first time a player on a struggling team has expressed lofty expectations. Every training camp, optimism blooms across all 32 franchises. Everyone is undefeated. Everyone’s quarterback is throwing darts. Everyone’s defense is flying around. But reality sets in by Week 1, and for Carolina, the mountain they must climb is enormous.
First-year head coach Dave Canales has been brought in to salvage Bryce Young’s development, something many believe is the key to the entire operation. If Young can make a leap in Year 2—if he can be more than just serviceable and start resembling a former Heisman Trophy winner—then the Panthers can reasonably expect improvement. But Super Bowl? That’s a long bridge to build in one offseason.
The insider emphasized that Hubbard’s mindset isn’t the issue—it’s the disconnect between internal confidence and external analysis. “You’d rather have a player like Hubbard say something like that than hear him shrug and say, ‘We’ll see what happens.’ It shows belief. But my job isn’t to evaluate belief; it’s to evaluate rosters. And right now, on paper, the Panthers’ roster isn’t in the same solar system as the NFL’s elite.”
It’s worth noting that there have been Cinderella stories in the NFL. Teams like the Bengals, who went from a four-win season to the Super Bowl the following year behind a young Joe Burrow. The Rams, who hired Sean McVay and turned around almost overnight. The Eagles, who bounced back quickly with Jalen Hurts. But what those teams had in common—elite quarterback play, innovative coaching, and strong lines on both sides of the ball—Carolina still lacks.
The offensive line is still being pieced together, and although Ikem Ekwonu shows promise, there are questions about interior protection and overall cohesion. The wide receiver corps was upgraded with the addition of Diontae Johnson, but it still lacks a true alpha—someone who can stretch defenses and give Young a consistent bailout option. The tight end room is underwhelming. And the defense, while sturdy in places, lost key contributors in free agency.
Hubbard’s comments came during a post-practice media session, where he spoke passionately about the culture shift under Canales. “There’s a new energy in the building,” Hubbard said. “Guys believe in each other. We’re working harder than ever. We’re not thinking about what happened last year. This is a new team, and we expect to compete at the highest level.”
He added, “Everybody always doubts us. That’s fine. We’re not here to win the press conferences. We’re here to win games. And we’re gonna surprise people this year. I don’t see why we can’t make it to the top.”
While fans may appreciate the fire, the reaction across the league has been more tempered. NFL analysts from major outlets quickly picked up on the quote, with some laughing it off and others using it as a case study in preseason hyperbole. One analyst posted on social media: “I love Chuba’s confidence, but the Panthers going to the Super Bowl this year? That’s like saying a paper airplane can make it to the moon.”
Still, it’s hard to fault a young player for dreaming big. Hubbard, after all, has fought for every inch of his NFL career. Drafted in the fourth round out of Oklahoma State, he entered the league with questions about his speed, durability, and third-down value. But through hard work and perseverance, he has turned himself into a legitimate contributor. In many ways, his own journey mirrors the underdog mindset he now applies to the entire Panthers organization.
And maybe that’s what makes this whole situation feel more hopeful than absurd. Yes, it’s a long shot. Yes, the Panthers have a mountain of problems to solve. But Hubbard’s belief—misguided or not—signals a team that’s done making excuses. A team that is tired of being the punchline.
In the end, only the games will determine whether Hubbard’s bold proclamation is rooted in foresight or fantasy. If Bryce Young takes a leap, if the defense overperforms, if Canales proves to be a game-changer, then maybe, just maybe, Carolina can sniff playoff contention. Super Bowl? That’s still a galaxy away.
But the league is full of surprises. And if the Panthers do anything close to what Hubbard is predicting, he’ll be the one laughing last—while the insiders eat their words. Until then, the skepticism will linger. The NFL isn’t about what you say in June. It’s about what you do in January. And for now, most analysts believe the Panthers’ season will be over long before the calendar flips that far.
For Hubbard, though, the mission is clear. Talk big. Work bigger. And try to defy the odds in a league that rarely shows mercy to rebuilding teams with unproven quarterbacks. The fire in his voice may be dismissed by some, but inside the locker room, it could be the spark Carolina desperately needs. Whether that fire spreads across the league or gets extinguished by reality is something only time—and football—will reveal.
