Nick Chubb is returning to the Browns for the exact reason that was always going to happen
Nick Chubb is heading back to the Browns in a move that just made too much sense for both sides.
The identity of the Cleveland Browns changed back in 2023 when former running back Nick Chubb went down with a serious injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers. From that moment on, Cleveland lost its bell cow running back, a player the franchise had leaned on for five seasons.
That 2023 season limited Chubb to just two games. He returned for eight games in 2024 before suffering another injury that put the nail in the coffin on his Browns career. Cleveland moved in a different direction, taking Quinshon Judkins to be the future of the running back room.
Chubb played in 15 games for the Houston Texans in 2025 in a split backfield, rushing for 506 yards and three touchdowns. Ahead of the 2026 NFL season, he announced his retirement after eight professional seasons.
Now, Chubb is set to return to the Browns.
On Friday, Chubb is set to return to the Browns on a one-day contract to retire as a Brown officially. He will be in attendance for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.
Nick Chubb had career defined by durability in the end, but he was an undeniable talent
Chubb rushed for 6,843 yards along with 51 touchdowns on the ground in 85 games in a Browns uniform. He added 1,042 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns over that stretch. Chubb was a four-time Pro Bowler in Cleveland over his seven-year career with the team, giving the Browns a lot since he was a second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
He was a part of the only playoff win the franchise has had in the last couple of decades, coming in 2020. It’s worth thinking about what his career could have been with the Browns had he stayed healthy. Before that 2023 injury, Chubb had rattled off five straight seasons of at least 1,000 yards rushing practically (996 in 2018, blame Hue Jackson). In 2022, he was at the prime of his game with 1,525 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground.
Chubb also suffered serious injuries at Georgia, which undoubtedly shortened his career as more injuries piled up during his professional days. Still, him coming home to retire as a Brown is only right. He was a fan favorite in Cleveland and embraced everything about the city.
