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Good morning, Cleveland Browns fans!
To hell with Minkah Fitzpatrick. To hell with injuries. To hell with fate.
Look, I know that Fitzpatrick defends his hit on Nick Chubb in 2023 as legitimate, and not a dirty hit. Many experts and players agree. Even Nick Chubb says he bears no animosity towards Fitzpatrick.
I'm no expert on what constitutes a fair hit or a dirty hit. Nor am I an expert on the NFL's rules, which legislate which hits are legal and illegal. All I am is a Browns fan who can only look on with regret and sadness at one play in the Steelers' home stadium, and wonder what Nick Chubb might have gone on to accomplish if Fitzpatrick had taken a slightly different angle to tackle the Browns' stalwart running back.
I have no idea if Fitzpatrick is haunted by it. I know I am.
Still, remembering Nick Chubb shouldn't be about how it ended with the Browns; it should be about his incredible tenure with the team while he was here.
Even with his time with the Browns cut short, Nick Chubb was a hero, both on and off the field. He amassed 6,843 yards in seven seasons, with over 6,300 coming in the first five years. He ran the ball for an average of over five yards every time he touched it. Chubb finished less than five hundred yards behind Hall-of-Famer Leroy Kelly in the Browns' record books.
And off the field, Chubb was an example of what every NFL fan could hope his favorite player could be: Hard-working, team-focused, and displaying absolutely no diva-like qualities even at the peak of his success.
Nick Chubb
Nick Chubb with the Browns in 2024 (Photo: Getty)
Many Browns fans, who focus on accumulating every scintilla of talent possible for this moribund franchise, would be willing to accept a post-injury Nick Chubb on the Browns, to have him as an example in the locker room, even though his 3.1 average yards per carry in 2024 demonstrated the impact that the devastating injury he suffered.
That the Browns and Chubb's representatives couldn't agree on a contract to bring him back is likely the fault of both sides. The Browns had a price they were willing to pay, but it didn't work for Chubb and his people. I don't blame either side. The Browns have reloaded at the position and are looking to the future. Chubb gets another opportunity with a likely playoff contender. If the Browns couldn't bring Nick Chubb back, at least both sides have good opportunities ahead.
But regardless of what the future holds, the present in Cleveland is a mixture of sadness and wistfulness about what could have been. Without that hit, and if he had just a few more good years, Nick Chubb could have finished his career with his name displayed alongside the team's all-time greats and with a very short wait to join the Hall of Fame.
Best of luck, Nick Chubb. You deserve nothing but good news in the years ahead.
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!
Have a good one! GO BROWNS!
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