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C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans burst out onto the scene in the superstar quarterback’s rookie season in 2023, winning 10 games, seven more than the previous year. While everyone anticipated the Texans to take an even bigger leap forward in DeMeco Ryans and Stroud’s second season, Houston essentially had a repeat year, winning ten games and being eliminated in the NFL Divisional Round playoffs for the second year in a row.
While the outcome certainly could have been a lot worse, the Texans have since made several changes in an attempt to reach the next level in their development. One of those improvements was done by taking a chance on four-time Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb in free agency.
Though, according to USA Today’s Texans reporter Cole Thompson, Chubb’s sudden “lack of burst” has been arguably one of the “biggest red flags” of training camp so far.
“Right now, starting Chubb might be the biggest red flag for Houston long-term,” Thompson wrote. “So far in camp, that burst needed to get through to the second and third level of the defense is nowhere to be found. Now could some of the blame fall on the offensive line? Perhaps, but you can’t put all the blame on the unit in a live game if that’s all you got.”
To be fair, Chubb is already coming off a down season after tearing his ACL and MCL in 2023. He also suffered a broken foot late last season with the Cleveland Browns. Chubb, 29, averaged a career-low 3.3 yards per carry last season.
While the Texans added Chubb with the hopes that he could elevate their rushing attack by complementing Joe Mixon, they may have to rely on Dameon Pierce or even add another rusher before the regular season kicks off.
Related: 1 Bold NFL Training Camp Prediction for AFC Teams
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