CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Chuba Hubbard had a little fun with reporters earlier this week when asked what he thought of how fellow Carolina Panthers running back D’Onta Foreman played in Sunday’s 37-34 overtime loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
“What do you guys think?’’ he asked back.
“Pretty well,’’ one reporter responded.
Said Hubbard: “Just pretty [well]?’’
He then smiled and said: “Excellent!’’
That wasn’t just a fair analysis of how Foreman played against Atlanta, but also how the 6-foot-1, 236-pounder played in both games since the Panthers (2-6) traded star back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers.
He’s helped turn what was considered a win for the Panthers in terms of their draft compensation -- San Francisco’s 2023 second-, third- and fourth-round picks as well as a 2024 fifth-rounder -- and financial benefits into a win-win because of his production.
It’s been more than a win for Foreman, who thought his football career was over two months into the 2021 season when no team had called. He already was focused on his trucking company, Foreman Transport, and other investments he’d made.
But he stayed in shape, just in case, so he could fulfill a promise to his father, 47-year-old Darreck Foreman, who was killed on Oct. 10 when he lost control of his Freightliner on a curve not far from Texas City, Texas. That promise? Be ready if he got another opportunity.
“Early in my career I had the game taken away from me,’’ Foreman said on Wednesday. “A lot of ups and downs. Just being back in this position, I’m grateful. I just want to make the most of it.’’
So far, he has.
Foreman has the third-most rushing yards (236) since the trade, behind 2021 Tennessee Titans teammate Derrick Henry (347) and Travis Etienne Jr. (270) of the Jacksonville Jaguars. His 7.6 yards per carry ranks first during that time and his three rushing touchdowns are tied for the league lead.
He has at least temporarily eased the frustration of those upset over the trade of McCaffrey and made them hopeful heading into Sunday’s game against the 4-4 Cincinnati Bengals (1 p.m. ET, Fox) and the league’s 21st-ranked run defense.
He’s also given added confidence to quarterback PJ Walker, who continues to play well enough to keep Baker Mayfield on the bench.
“Just knowing that he’s going to get downhill and make those tough runs,’’ Walker said. “He’s a tough dude. He’s physical, he’s a bruiser. He’s a bruiser back there so you know just getting the ball into his hands and giving him the opportunity to do his thing is something that we look to do more moving forward.”
Foreman, 26, runs like he’s one of the two 18-wheelers in his trucking company.
“Heavy,’’ Carolina defensive end Brian Burns said of Foreman. “You don’t want to get hit or hit that too many times a game. You wind up getting a headache.’’
Hubbard understands.
“I haven’t heard anybody say anything after he [runs over them], but I’ve seen their face and how they react to it,’’ he said. “One run a linebacker tried to arm tackle him and [Foreman] just ran right through him. He went flying through the air and hit the ground hard, and you could just see why trying to tackle a guy like that time and time again can be demoralizing.’’
Foreman was a star at Texas, where he rushed for 2,028 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior in 2016. He was selected in the third round of the 2017 draft by Houston, but his rookie season was ended by an Achilles injury and his time with the Texans ended before his third season when he was waived for what they categorized as poor work habits.
After two shorts stints with Atlanta and the Titans, he found himself back on the Titans' practice squad on Nov. 2, 2021, after Henry suffered a foot injury last season.
Four days later, he was promoted to the 53-man roster. Four games later, he rushed for 109 yards on 19 carries and recorded three 100-yard rushing efforts over a five-game span.
The Panthers signed Foreman to a one-year, $2 million deal during the offseason as insurance for McCaffrey, who missed 23 of 33 games in 2020-21 due to injuries. He had only eight carries for 23 yards in the first five games before McCaffrey was traded to San Francisco, clearing $19,550,750 from Carolina’s salary cap in 2023 and 2024 and $15,450,750 in 2025.
“The start of this season, it was a little rough as far as not getting the ball as much as I wanted to," Foreman said.
The past two weeks have been storybook. Foreman led Carolina with 118 yards on 15 carries in a Week 7 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, even though Hubbard started. Foreman had 118 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries Sunday at Atlanta with Hubbard sidelined.
Carolina’s 342 rushing yards the past two weeks are the third most in the NFL. Foreman’s effort last week made him the fourth player in team history to have 110-plus yards rushing and three touchdowns in a game and the first since 2004.
“He has not surprised me at all,’’ interim coach Steve Wilks said. “He’s just a big, physical back. That creates problems as the game goes on, trying to tackle somebody like that, particularly when he gets to the second and third level.’’
That fits the run-oriented, power team Wilks said he wanted the offense to become when he replaced Matt Rhule after a 1-4 start. Wilks still plans to have a “committee’’ plan in the backfield once Hubbard returns, possibly this week, from an ankle sprain that sidelined him against Atlanta.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean Foreman will play much less, because with the decision to keep Walker at quarterback, Wilks already has established that he’ll go with the hot hand.
Foreman has the hot hand. Hubbard can’t deny that.
“Obviously when you have a big back that’s really athletic and move that way, if you’re in the NFL, you have the best of the best,’’ Hubbard said. “Guys of his size being able to move and still be fast is what makes him so special.’’
Being able to fulfill a promise to his dad is what makes it special for Foreman.
“I just sit back and think about the times when I was at home and if I ever got a second chance what would I do differently,’’ Foreman said. “The time is here. I just want to be able to capitalize.’’