CHARLOTTE — Chuba Hubbard knows what it's like to be tired in December.

Not that he isn't now, but it doesn't bother him the way it used to.

That's because the Panthers running back wanted to become the kind of back who gets the workload this time of year, and trained himself for it. So being the main and nearly only option in the backfield for a team that wants to run the ball isn't something he's going to shrink from now.

"I mean, that's just a part of being a running back, obviously," Hubbard said with a laugh Thursday. "You're gonna take multiple hits every single play, hopefully not every play, maybe some you get untouched, but every player usually is getting hit whether it's pass-pro, running the ball, catching, whatever it may be.

"But a big thing is I try to take care of my body, so when we get to that fourth quarter of this season, I'm still a step ahead of the rest. So, obviously tired; there's certain stuff that's kind of inevitable, but overall, I feel great."

That's great news for a team that needs him.

The Panthers are running short of playmakers on offense, with the injuries that keep stacking up. The receivers are down to the undrafteds in practice this week — head coach Dave Canales said Xavier Legette isn't expected to play, and David Moore's in the concussion protocol — with Adam Thielen and Jalen Coker and Deven Thompkins and Dan Chisena out there running around in practice. And at running back, Miles Sanders and Jonathon Brooks are on IR, so even though Raheem Blackshear is closer to returning after missing last week, it's still going to be mostly Hubbard, and he knows that.

His workload has steadily increased over the course of his career, as he's averaging 16.1 carries per game this season after averaging 14.0 last year. And by tying a career-high 39 receptions with three games to play, he's getting more reps in that area as well.

Hubbard's ninth in the league with 225 rushing attempts this season, which is even more impressive since he played for a team that ranks 30th in total plays (817). He's touching the ball on 32.3 percent of the Panthers' snaps for the season, and is seventh in the league in rushing (after reaching the 1,000-yard barrier for the first time in Philadelphia).

That number dipped last week when the early deficit got them out of their preferred mode of offense (he touched it seven times on the opening drive, but only seven more times after that), but it's not because he's not ready for it.

"I mean, he trained himself," offensive coordinator Brad Idzik said when asked about Hubbard's workload. "I think I referenced it a while back, but one of the first guys you see coming in in the offseason, he's been callous-ing up his body for a workload for a long time. And then we spent all offseason and then preseason and throughout the season, scheme-wise just getting him groomed with what we're asking for. And the live reps he's gotten throughout the season, he's done a great job of becoming more dynamic in a bunch of different schemes, so workload-wise, we don't hesitate. We just always know you get towards the latter half, you want to make sure that you're keeping an eye on him, and Bernie (Parmalee, the running backs coach) does a great job of letting us know like, 'hey, Chuba might need one or two here.'

"But he's the type when you take him out of the game he's like, 'no coach, I'm good, I'm good.' We had a couple of running backs go down a couple of weeks ago (in Philadelphia), and Chuba was our last guy. And he was not about to let us take him out of the game for any reason or any contingency plan with receivers or whatever we might have had to do. So you applaud his willingness to take every single snap."

Last week, practice squad call-up Mike Boone was the only other back dressed for the game, and he got in for a couple of carries, and three of the team's 55 snaps.

Hubbard was there for the other 52 because that's what's expected of him now, or what he expects of himself, anyway.

It's not that he's greedy about them, though, as tight end Tommy Tremble said no one was happier for Boone when he ripped off a couple of positive runs last week.

"He's the dude who you want him on your team every single time, man," Tremble said. "Like he's the best teammate in the sense of when you make a play, he knows you're doing that for the team. He knows it helps the team and he loves loving on his guys. So, like when Boone went in, man, you should have seen his face — smiling, having a blast being like, 'Let's freaking go.' He's a good guy, man.

"A lot of guys would be like, especially running back where one guy's in at a time, but he's never been the type to be like, oh, I need everything."

Not having to have all the reps and not being able to handle them are two different things.

Hubbard came here as the backup to a guy who rarely came off the field when he was well (Christian McCaffrey), and then operated as part of a tandem behind D'Onta Foreman. Then Sanders arrived to share the load, but Hubbard has prepared himself for more and more work as the year's passed.

A lot of backs might want the ball in December. But it's the time they spent in March and April that allows it.

"He's been, it's about setting rules for yourself and never letting them bend," Tremble said. "He's going to get the work in regardless, and I think that's just what he's accustomed to now. He wants to be the best. That's his goal and that's what he's working to.

"A lot of people would say that was crazy two years ago for him to say that stuff (about becoming a lead back), and now look at him. He's like a top-5 back in the league, so that's what he's done, and I think that kind of attitude is what carries him to the level he is now."

Hubbard said he's done more of everything to prepare for this — more work in the weight room, more cardio, more time on the Jugs machine — but much of the strain is in the preparation.

"You know how long the season's going to be, but you work hard, condition, weight room stuff, nutrition, the whole thing," he said with a shrug. "I think a lot of people get mixed up and think, oh this is the offseason, skip a little bit here, a little bit there, but you're really prepping your body for this physical wear and also the mental wear, I think.

"It's a mental battle more than anything."

And because of that training, he knows there are three more games, and three more chances, and more he wants to achieve.

"I mean, as a rookie when I first came in, you're just all over the place at times," he said. "You're like, you usually only play for 10 weeks, then you get to like Week 14 here, and you're like, 'Damn OK.' They say that rookie wall hits and stuff like that, but once you build your own process and you know your body, you know your mind, you've been through a few times, you're prepared for it.

"So around this time, it's easy for your mind to think it's time to check out. Let me just coast; it's the end-of-the-year type of thing.

"But no, always hungry, just want to finish and get some wins."

No matter how many reps that takes.