Dawgs By Nature
Running back interested in getting a deal done with the Browns are free agency looms on the horizon.
There was a time, not so long ago when it seemed unthinkable to imagine running back Nick Chubb playing for anyone other than the Cleveland Browns.
Beginning with his first carry as a rookie in 2018, a 63-yard touchdown run against the Raiders, Chubb put the NFL on notice that Cleveland’s running game was to be feared. Over the next five seasons, Chubb stacked big runs and 1,000-yard seasons while steadily climbing the franchise’s all-time rushing list.
It reached the point that, after a 2022 season that saw him rush for 1,525 yards, it was a matter of when, not if, he would surpass Hall-of-Famer Jim Brown on the franchise’s all-time list for rushing yards.
That came to a crashing halt on a Monday night in Pittsburgh in 2023 when Chubb suffered a season-ending knee injury on a hit by Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Months of rehab followed before Chubb made his return in Week seven of the 2024 season against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Chubb was not the same runner as he failed to break even 60 rushing yards in a game before suffering another season-ending injury, this time a broken foot in Week 15 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Now a free agent for the first time in his seven-year career, it is possible that Browns fans have seen the last of Chubb in a Cleveland uniform.
The Browns are entering an offseason filled with questions about the quarterback position, an aging offensive line, and the future of defensive end Myles Garrett, who went public this week with his desire to be traded.
Somewhere in all that, general manager Andrew Berry needs to decide if Chubb still has enough left in him to bring value to the team.
Working in Chubb’s favor is that Cleveland’s running game was not exactly the envy of the league last season. Even in his limited capacity, Chubb was still second on the team in rushing attempts and yards and tied for first in rushing touchdowns.
If it was up to Chubb, he would like to keep it going in Cleveland, as he told the (Akron) Beacon Journal on Friday:
“Of course. This is where I was drafted. This is where I’ve played the last seven years. I’m not sure how it’ll work. This is the first time I’ve been a free agent. But I’d like to get it done sooner than later.”
Things rarely end happily when it comes to the Browns, so if the team decides against bringing Chubb back, or he gets an offer he can’t refuse from another team, it would not be surprising.
But that also won’t make it any easier as Chubb will become the latest “what could have been” stories for the Browns.
