The Cleveland Browns ended the Nick Chubb era this offseason in a pivot that let fans know what they thought of the running back’s prospects. Chubb will turn 30 in December, and he’ll do so with an injury history that took away his 2023 season and made his 2024 campaign an underwhelming blip on the radar.
It wasn’t a surprise that the Browns elected to let Chubb walk, nor was it a shock to see few teams line up to sign him.
Ultimately, Chubb found a new home with the Houston Texans, who signed him to a one-year, $2.5 million deal on Monday.
In Houston, he’ll find newfound hopes of playoff football, his first franchise quarterback since the flashes of Baker Mayfield, and a second chance to prove he can still hang, regardless of his medical baggage.
In gauging what to expect from the former Browns running back, it’s best to start with his health. Chubb tore his knee up early in the 2023 season, demanding surgeries to repair his ACL, meniscus, and MCL. Upon his return in the middle of 2024, Chubb was middling, averaging 3.3 yards per attempt. His longest run went for 19 yards.
By December, he was hurt again, breaking his foot in Week 15.
The veteran is currently slotted behind Joe Mixon on the Texans’ depth chart. He’ll have to look the part in the summer to stave off Dameon Pierce and fourth-round rookie Woody Marks.
“That’s all behind me,” Chubb told reporters. “Injuries happen, With what I did, it takes about two years to really get back. So, I’m over the hump. I’m back home, I was back home all offseason training where I trained every year since I was in high school. I was able to get a full year in of doing the things I do best. Now, I’m feeling as good as I have been in a long time.”
If Chubb is healthy, there’s likely a role for him in the backfield, particularly in short-yardage situations. Marks’ draft capital and Pierce’s 2024 struggles could extend that leash, and with enough potency, Chubb could eat into a real portion of Houston’s carries as the second back on the roster.
That job isn’t particularly secure. Between his own injuries, others’ ascensions, and the chance that he performs as he did in 2024, Chubb may fall out of the rotation entirely, too.
Simply put, Texans fans need to see what Chubb looks like this summer. He has elite vision, footwork, and contact balance helping to sustain his skill set, but his age and medicals are pressing concerns that may cost him the benefit of the doubt.
Cleveland will not play Houston in the 2025 regular season, but Browns fans will be pulling for him wherever he plays.