Nick Chubb’s future with the Browns

The Cleveland Browns historically have hung their hat on being a ground-and-pound operating franchise.

The franchise has employed a number of the biggest operating again tandems in league historical past with guys resembling Jim Brown with Bobby Mitchell, Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner, Leroy Kelly paired with Ernie Inexperienced, and Marion Motley together with his sidekick Edgar Jones.

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Corridor of Fame head coach Paul Brown liked the run recreation as did Marty Schottenheimer within the Eighties.

When Nick Chubb was drafted within the second spherical of the 2018 NFL draft out of the College of Georgia, his choice cemented the Browns’ place to maintain operating the rock down the opposing protection’s throats. Throughout his time in Cleveland, he has teetered on the high of the league’s dashing chief listing and for a time was listed Number one for a number of weeks.

Whereas at Georgia, Chubb suffered a horrific knee damage in his sophomore 12 months after gaining 1,547 yards as a freshman. He tore the PCL, MCL, and LCL in his left knee. He additionally dislocated the knee and suffered cartilage injury.

After he healed and ended rehab, he reeled off consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, scored 44 touchdowns for his school profession, and displayed no recourse from the knee damage. His rookie deal was for 4 years for $7.4 million which included a $3.4 million signing bonus.

Picture by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Pictures

Since coming to the Browns, Chubb has shined yearly as among the finest operating backs within the NFL. He completed with 1,494 yards on 298 carries with eight touchdowns in his second 12 months within the league. His greatest season was in 2022 with 1,525 yards which gave him profession highs in carries (302) and touchdowns (12).

However similar to in school, accidents have plagued his profession.

In 2020, he was positioned on short-term IR with an MCL knee sprain Grade 2. The next 12 months Chubb had a calf pressure. In 2022, he had a light rib damage however performed by it. Final 12 months, it was one other nasty knee damage in Week 2 that ended his season and required surgical procedure plus one other spherical of rehab.

He returned in Week 7 this 12 months however broke his foot throughout the Week 15 loss to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs. The final two accidents landed him on IR.

Which brings us to the present scenario.

On July 31, 2021, Chubb signed a three-year, $36.6 million contract extension. That ends after this season.

Then what?

Here’s a man that simply two seasons in the past had 302 carries. That screams bell-cow. He completed third within the league in dashing yards behind Josh Jacobs and Derrick Henry. In 2019, he missed being named the league dashing chief by 46 yards.

Picture by Gregory Shamus/Getty Pictures

Chubb is without doubt one of the few Browns who’re beloved by the fanbase. He and DE Myles Garrett are the faces of the franchise. What number of #24 jerseys seem within the stadium on gamedays? Quite a few followers have a number of Chubb jerseys in numerous types.

As coaching camp started this summer season, Chubb was added to the PUP listing. He didn’t come again till the Week 7 residence recreation towards the Cincinnati Bengals. His return was like a Roman normal coming back from conquering one other nation. The icing on the cake was his one-yard landing run within the second quarter. A victory would have been good, however his homecoming was distinctive.

In all, earlier than he suffered a pedal foot fracture which ended one more season, Chubb performed in simply eight contests. His stats embrace eight begins, 102 carries for 332 yards, three touchdowns, 17 first-down conversions, a 3.3 yards per carry common, 5 receptions for 31 yards, and a receiving landing.

Earlier than the knee damage from final 12 months, Chubb was a man who had averaged 5.4 yards per carry with a excessive of 6.1 yards for a single season. Now, that has dropped to a 3.3-yard common. His lifetime profession common per recreation is 80.5 yards but this 12 months that plummeted to 41.5 yards.

Picture by Justin Edmonds/Getty Pictures

Within the Denver Broncos recreation, he had simply 9 carries and two receptions. He has had zero catches in 4 video games and in all eight contests he has two or fewer. Chubb has at all times been a nice receiver and but he’s solely an afterthought within the passing recreation or as a security valve possibility.

Since his return, has the teaching employees determined to make use of him much less in each recreation? As a result of Kevin Stefanski is not the playcaller on offense with these duties handed to Ken Dorsey, has this coach chosen to maintain the ball out of Chubb’s arms? If not, then why wasn’t he concerned within the gameplan similar to earlier than when he often had 20-25 carries per recreation?

Since his return, what has been the issue?

Let’s simply state the apparent: Chubb is just not the identical operating again. He simply isn’t.

We as Browns followers love Nick Chubb. His character personifies what Cleveland is about: blue-collar, humble, hard-working, caring, and never a quitter. He’s the unsung one and can solely settle for being known as a famous person if you happen to insist. He’s additionally prepared to do something the coaches ask of him and is an distinctive blocker when held in for extra safety.

His contract is up. What are the Browns going to do with him? What ought to they do with him?

It’s not like Cleveland has a younger stud on the roster who was drafted to complement him and is now pushing Chubb out of the barn trying to turn into the featured again. No mistake, there are youthful rushers on the Browns. Jerome Ford, age 25, has been a curler coaster as a operating again. He has had nice showings after which disappears. 26-year-old Pierre Sturdy isn’t used. Nyheim Hines (28) was signed as a kick returner however ought to be earmarked for some carries.

However none of those backs provide what Chubb has given the franchise. Not even shut.

Nonetheless, the pre-knee damage Chubb is just not that again both. Not now. Oftentimes, he goes down on the primary hit whereas you used to should throw a range at him to get him down. On the few runs in these eight video games the place he appeared like he was about to interrupt a long term, he’s with out that prime gear he had the power to shift into after which be gone.

Picture by Justin Berl/Getty Pictures

Will he be his outdated self as soon as he has a full coaching camp beneath his belt and will get a operating begin to the 2025 season? Or will his expertise seem diminished like they’ve this 12 months within the brief time he performed?

Chubb continues to be a younger man at age 28 (he turns 29 on December 27). A male athlete is in his prime at age 26 so he’s not that removed from it. However accidents and subsequent repairs age your physique. The operating again place will get hit so much each recreation – instances 17 contests.

It’s tough for a wholesome again to get by a complete brutal schedule a lot much less one that’s broken usually. Synthetic surfaces additionally don’t assist out and it looks like most NFL golf equipment don’t need to undergo the method of nurturing a grass floor and go for the always-green turf as a substitute.

Stay a Brown?

Ought to Chubb be re-signed? A damaged foot is just not a extreme damage like a ligament situation, so he ought to recuperate with none persevering with considerations going ahead. However it ought to be famous, it’s the similar leg.

There are a number of issues that ought to be thought-about when trying to resolve to maintain Chubb in Cleveland.

One is clearly the cash. Does he stay a $12 million-a-year operating again? Most probably he is not going to get a lot consideration on this 12 months’s free company interval so Cleveland ought to be capable of have him come again on a really low wage with a heavy incentive-laden deal laced with a lot of elevators.

Is he a participant that ought to be thought-about for a number of years? What is smart for the Browns is to ink him on a one-year deal after which resolve what to do after the 2025 season. Who is aware of? He may reconnect to the sport and have a Saquan Barkley-style breakout 12 months.

One other query is ought to the teaching employees be occupied with drafting a younger bull on this 12 months’s draft in an effort to give the Browns a stable possibility if Chubb regresses or has ideas of retirement? This looks like a no brainer. However to get anyone that has pace and might tackle defenders, Cleveland would want to look fairly early at getting a thoroughbred and their wants listing is fairly prolonged.

But another choice is to maintain him figuring out that he’s not the stallion he has been, play him sparingly simply to maintain him on the group which might appease a fanbase that has only a few stars to root for. This is able to clearly be a PR transfer. If the teaching employees concludes that Chubb’s expertise are certainly diminished and that protecting him on the 53-man roster is for the aim of not having to really waive a treasured member of the family, then no person would have a difficulty with that.

Picture by Al Bello/Getty Pictures

One factor for sure, the repaired ACL will probably be a 12 months stronger.

One can solely envision the general public outcry if the Browns really made no try to re-sign Chubb.

Nonetheless, the general public is already calling for the removing of QB Deshaun Watson regardless of his owing $46 million for the following two seasons. Watson’s scenario has an identical overtone to Chubb’s in that he’s damage fairly a bit, paid nicely, and has diminished expertise. The Cleveland fanbase has expressed an curiosity in making Watson kick rocks but Chubb’s continuation is considerably unquestioned and assumed a actuality in ready.

Actually, the Browns will re-sign Chubb. Received’t they? Ought to they?

Ballot
Put in your GM cap. What ought to the Browns do about Nick Chubb after this season has concluded?

13%

Re-sign him to a multi-year deal

(50 votes)

38%

Re-sign him to a one-year deal

(141 votes)

1%

Don’t re-sign him

(5 votes)

44%

Draft his alternative and re-sign him

(160 votes)

1%

Draft his alternative and don’t re-sign him

(7 votes)

363 votes complete

Vote Now