Longtime Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb has found his next NFL stop. The Houston Texans are signing Chubb to their offseason roster. Sunday evening, multiple reports indicated Chubb intended to visit the team and assuming all went well, would sign a contract. Now, that move is happening with Chubb passing his physical, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
It’ll be the first time in Chubb’s now eight-year career he’ll play outside of Cleveland. Selected by the Browns in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft despite a devastating college knee injury, Chubb has been one of football’s best runners throughout most of his career. He made four-straight Pro Bowls from 2019-2022, rushing for at least 1,000-yards and eight touchdowns each season over that span.
He also averaged over five yards per carry in five-straight seasons, tied for second-most in NFL history by a running back (minimum 100 attempts in a year). Only Hall of Famer Joe Perry had more with six.
Chubb, now 29, suffered a serious knee injury against the Steelers in 2023 after a low – but legal – tackle. Missing the rest of the season, he returned midway through 2024. But he didn’t look the same, sluggish and unproductive, while playing in a Browns offense that struggled just as much. Chubb carried the ball 102 times for 332 yards and three touchdowns, a career-low of 3.3 yards per carry.
A free agent after the season, the Browns showed little interest in bringing him back. One report indicated Pittsburgh had legitimate interest in him and Mike Tomlin has always spoken highly of Chubb, giving him the “Mr. Chubb” name he refers to the league’s best players (like Lamar Jackson’s “Mr. Jackson”). Instead of Chubb, the Steelers signed Kenneth Gainwell in free agency and picked Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson in the third round of this year’s draft.
Nick Chubb will look to crack a Texans backfield familiar with adding AFC North talent. Last year, Houston traded for Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon ahead of the 2024 season. The move paid off, Mixon rushing for over 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns in his first year with the team. Others on the depth chart are Dameon Pierce, Woody Marks, and Dare Ogunbowale.
