Dawgs By Nature
One of the greatest running backs in team history thanked for his service to the franchise.
The move that every Cleveland Browns fan knew was coming but still were not totally prepared for happened on Monday when running back Nick Chubb signed with the Houston Texans.
The writing had been on the wall since last December when the Browns placed Chubb on season-ending injured reserve for the second consecutive season.
Related: Nick Chubb’s Top 5 Games
The clues continued throughout the offseason, when the Browns first had fourth-year running back Jerome Ford take a pay cut, then in the 2025 NFL Draft when they selected running backs Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson.
It was still a rough day on Monday, especially when reports came out that Chubb was signing with the Texans for just one season and $2.5 million, with some incentives that could bring the deal to $5 million.
Surely the Browns, who gave quarterback Deshaun Watson $230 million in guaranteed money, could find a few extra dollars laying around team headquarters in Berea to give Chubb one more year? Alas, it was not meant to be.
But owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam, perhaps shaken a bit by a fan base that was very much not on board with the move, did release a statement late in the day thanking Chubb for his service and saying that Chubb would one day be added to the team’s Ring of Honor:
“We want to take this opportunity to thank Nick Chubb for all he’s done for the Cleveland Browns. For the last seven years, Nick gave everything he had to our fans, this organization and this city. He always represented our team as the consummate professional and in a manner that showed his passion and love for the game of football.
“Nick has always been about hard work and letting his play on the field do the talking for him. We are so grateful for the many moments he created on the field that we will never forget. One moment that stands out most is him stepping out of bounds at the 3-yard line instead of scoring after a 59-yard run to ensure a victory in a game against the Texans in 2020. Nick always puts winning above any personal accolade, and that is what makes him so special. Thank you for being a Brown, Nick, and we look forward to the day we celebrate your career as a member of our Ring of Honor.”
Chubb closes out his time in Cleveland third on the franchise’s all-time rushing list with 6,843 yards, has the second-most 100-yard rushing games with 30, and the third-most rushing touchdowns with 51.
So ends the tenure of one of the greatest running backs in team history, which is saying a lot when the franchise has a trio of running backs - Jim Brown, Leroy Kelly, and Marion Motley - all in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
