The Cleveland Browns locked in one of their veteran stars this offseason, signing Myles Garrett to a hefty contract earlier this month to keep him in the fold.
However, the future of another key Browns player remains up in the air, with no clear sign he’ll stay in Cleveland long-term.
If Garrett has been the driving force behind the Browns’ defense for the past seven years, Nick Chubb is arguably the face of the team’s offense, embodying its spirit on the other side of the ball.
In a recent Cleveland.com piece, Browns Insider Mary Kay Cabot shared a brief update on where things stand with the team’s plans for the experienced running back.
Cabot wrote, “The plan with Nick Chubb was always to let him hit the free agent market and see what kind of opportunities he could generate. If he doesn’t find anything, the door will be open to him returning to the Browns as long as they have a role for him.”
Cabout added, “With Chubb not necessarily suited to a third-down back niche, the Browns would have to make sure they have enough carries for him on first and second down and in short-yardage situations.”
The Browns’ backfield has been a bit of a revolving door ever since Nick Chubb went down with a brutal knee injury in Week 2 of the 2023 season during a matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In the two years since, Jerome Ford has stepped up as the team’s top rusher, racking up 1,922 total yards from scrimmage and punching in 12 touchdowns over that span.
Chubb managed to make it back onto the field last season, but he didn’t quite resemble the dominant force fans had grown used to watching since he joined the league in 2018.
His 2024 average of 3.25 yards per carry marked a career low—well below his previous worst of 5.01 yards per carry in 2019.
Should we cut him some slack, considering he was coming back from a major knee injury at 28 years old? Sure, but that dip in production, paired with his age—he turned 29 late last year—and injury history, casts some doubt on his future as a premier NFL running back heading into 2025.
Before 2023, Chubb had kicked off his career with five straight seasons of over 1,100 total yards and at least eight touchdowns, putting him on what some might call a Hall of Fame path until that knee injury threw a wrench in the past two years.
Right now, his future with the Browns is up in the air, though the door isn’t completely closed on a potential return.
Browns Other Options at Running Back
Jerome Ford might be poised to take the reins of the Browns’ backfield heading into the 2025 NFL season, with only Pierre Strong Jr. currently on the roster alongside him, assuming the team decides not to re-sign Chubb for an eighth season.
Alternatively, the Browns could look to bolster their running back group in the 2025 NFL Draft, which boasts a strong and deep pool of talent. Prospects like Omarion Hampton, TreVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins, Dylan Sampson, Kaleb Johnson, and Ollie Gordon could all be in play as Day 2 picks.
