Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard won't feature in the Week 5 game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. He missed practice throughout the week because of a strained calf, and on Friday, Panthers coach Dave Canales declared Hubbard out of the game."We just couldn't get Chuba around quickly enough to feel confident to put him out there. So we thought this would be a good week to get him back to strength, back to health," Canales told reporters while talking about his starting running back.Here, we take a look at what happened to Hubbard and when he's expected to return for the Carolina Panthers.Chuba Hubbard injury update: What happened to the Panthers RB?Despite carrying a calf injury, Chuba Hubbard played in the Carolina Panthers' Week 4 defeat to the New England Patriots. He recorded only 10 carries for 49 yards in a limited role as the Panthers lost 42-13.Coach Dave Canales, though, claimed that Hubbard left the Week 4 game in worse form than he was before, following his absence from the Panthers' first practice of the week on Wednesday.The former fourth-round pick leads the Panthers with 217 rushing yards in four games this season. He's yet to score a rushing touchdown but has caught two touchdown passes. He also led the team with 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024.The Panthers will rely on Rico Dowdle, a 2025 free agent signing who rushed for 1,079 yards and two touchdowns on 235 runs for the Dallas Cowboys last season, in Hubbard's absence. Behind Dowdle, Trevor Etienne and DeeJay Dallas will be backups.Dowdle has recorded 83 rushing yards and one touchdown on 28 rushing attempts in Carolina's first four games of the season. He has shown promise early in the season, particularly in Week 3's win against the Atlanta Falcons, where he had 10 carries for 30 yards and a touchdown.When will Chuba Hubbard return for the Panthers?A specific comeback date for Chuba Hubbard hasn't yet been announced, but coach Dave Canales implied on Friday that the running back's condition will be evaluated going forward on a "week-to-week" basis, suggesting he may miss even more games after Week 5."We'll keep working on him through the weekend and then take a look back at him early next week,” Canales said on Friday.Hubbard will have his next opportunity to play for the Panthers on Sunday when they face the Dallas Cowboys at Bank of America Stadium.The 26-year-old star rusher has carried the ball for 3,392 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns on 808 attempts in 68 games (43 starts) over five seasons with Carolina after being selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He also has 134 receptions, 843 receiving yards and four scores through the air.