Rico Dowdle News: No assurance of starting Week 7

Panthers coach Dave Canales didn't answer Wednesday when reporters asked him if Dowdle will start Sunday's game against the Jets, Steve Reed of the Associated Press reports.

Chuba Hubbard (calf) returned to practice Wednesday as a limited participant after Dowdle ran for 389 yards over the past two weeks. Hubbard was excellent last season and didn't do anything this September to warrant a benching, but the massive extent of Dowdle's recent production nonetheless creates questions about what the Carolina backfield will look like moving forward. The split for Week 7 won't necessarily be the split for the rest of the season, of course, and there may be room for multiple RBs to put up solid numbers against a subpar Jets defense.