According to a report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, running back Nick Chubb has agreed to a deal with the Houston Texans, pending a physical. Chubb had spent the entirety of his career, dating back to the 2018 season with the Cleveland Browns.
Chubb has been rehabbing from the knee injury he suffered against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023. He returned to play for the Browns in 2024 but suffered a season-ending broken foot. He was still showing residual physical limitations suffered from the knee injury. That and Chubb's own contract demands have been the reason why he's been on the market until now. There hadn't been much interest from teams as they were concerned with the status of Chubb's knee. Additionally, the 2025 draft class was considered to be historic in terms of the talent available which further depressed his market.
The Browns and Chubb had discussed reuniting, but when a deal couldn't be worked out before the NFL Draft, the Browns acted aggressively. They selected Quinshon Judkins with the 36th pick in the second round and followed up with Dylan Sampson in their first pick in the fourth round. The team also restructured their contract with Jerome Ford, giving him more guaranteed money, making it far more likely he will secure a spot on the team's 53-man roster.
Seven years after selecting Chubb 35th out of Georgia, the Browns selected Judkins 36th overall. In both years, the Browns took a player in the second round before they selected their would-be feature back. In 2018, the Browns selected Austin Corbett, an offensive lineman out of Nevada with the 33rd pick in 2018. The Browns selected linebacker Carson Schwesinger 33rd overall in 2025.
In his seven-year career with the Browns, the Pro Football Writers named him 1st Team All-Pro in 2019, 2020 and 2021. In his first five seasons, Chubb amassed 6,341 rushing yards and 751 yards receiving. He scored 52 total touchdowns over that stretch.
While efforts were toward potentially reuniting with one of the franchise's all-time best rushers, the team ended up going through the draft, building towards the future. Replacing Chubb comes with significant pressure already, but the Browns need to have an effective running game to help what could be an underwhelming passing game.
Even if the physical with the Texans may prove to be a formality, everyone will be curious to see how Chubb looks. If Chubb's knee allows him to be near the ability he demonstrated throughout most of his career with the Browns, this could be one of the most important signings in the league this offseason. If not, the Texans likely won't lose much.
The Browns are not slated to play the Texans this year, so unless both teams were to make the postseason, the Browns would not have to face off against Chubb.