He’s always had explosive speed, which he showcased on that 38-yard touchdown run last week. And his work ethic is well documented.

But as far as Canales is concerned, in the time he waited for his chance and worked his way into being that type of back, he learned how to be a complete back.

“He’s not afraid of the dirty 2- and 3-yard runs that you just have to squeeze in,” Canales said. “And then later in the game, they show up in 8s and 12s, and here comes a 25. Just the discipline and his willingness to really commit to the system.”

Veteran Jordan Matthews, who made his transition from receiver to tight end in San Francisco where he had to learn the intricacies of Kyle Shanahan’s running game, said that when he saw what McCaffrey and Jordan Mason were doing there and what Hubbard is doing here, he learned to appreciate how far his teammate has come.

“I don’t want to compare Chuba to anyone because I think he has a unique way of being productive whenever the ball is in his hands,” Matthews said. “But I know for a fact that given the 49ers’ run offense and the way they look at the run game, it was very difficult to get on the field as a running back. There are a lot of boxes to tick. When I came here I thought, wow, this guy could have played there too, like the production you saw here at C-Mac and the production Mason has there. It was a certain style of running and you had to have a different mindset and think, “Okay, that’s a top-notch football player,” like he’s the type of defensive back that could play anywhere in the NFL, and I can’t think of a better one Imagine a compliment you could give someone.

And if you look at what Hubbard has been doing lately, you can see that.

Only Baltimore’s Derrick Henry has had more rushing yards in the last three games, a testament to Hubbard’s productivity.