Nick Chubb hasn’t found a new home in free agency, which has opened the door for a potential return to the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns allowed Chubb — a franchise icon — to test free agency. The 29-year-old is coming off a down year and saw his season end early due to a broken foot. Chubb appeared in just eight games last season due to injuries. He rushed for 332 yards on 102 carries with three touchdowns last season. Chubb’s 3.3 yards per carry average was, by far, the lowest of his career.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry didn’t sound optimistic about Nick Chubb’s return when discussing his future at the NFL Combine in February.
“I think everybody in this room knows how much respect we have for Nick and how much appreciation we have for not just his exploits on the field, but who he is in the locker room and who he is as a person,” Berry said. “It’s always a challenging situation when one of your cornerstone players, their contract is up.”
Browns Open to Bringing Nick Chubb Back
Now that the initial wave of free agency has passed, the Browns are exploring the possibility of bringing Chubb back for another run. With no lucrative or multiyear offers on the table elsewhere, the door is now open for Cleveland to sign him to a short-term, prove-it deal.
“Chubb didn’t find a new home in the first wave of free agency, and the Browns will be open to re-signing him in the second wave if they determine they’ll have a role for him,” Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com said. “They’ll also likely draft a running back in this rich class to pair with Jerome Ford, or acquire one in a trade or free agency.”
Cabot pointed to one issue potentially being Chubb’s role within the offense.
“Because Chubb wouldn’t necessarily be suited for a third-down back role, the Browns would have to be sure they’d have some carries for him in the featured back role, and they don’t know that yet.”
Nick Chubb is Open to Return to Browns
Chubb said recently that he’d like to stay with the Browns. He’s spent all seven years of his career in Cleveland, racking up four Pro Bowl selections.
“Of course,” Chubb said of returning, per the Akron Beacon Journal. “This is where I was drafted. This is where I’ve played the last seven years.”
Chubb has rushed for 6,843 yards and 51 touchdowns over his career — all with the Browns. If he can regain the form he showed before the injuries, he’d be a significant asset for the new-look Cleveland offense. The Browns are under the direction of new offense coordinator Tommy Rees and will be integrating a new quarterback.
If Chubb were to depart, Jerome Ford would likely be the lead back. He has shown some upside but has been inconsistent. Over three seasons with the Browns, Ford has rushed for 1,390 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s also a capable pass-catcher, with 106 grabs for 544 yards and five more touchdowns. The Browns could also look to the draft for a capable rookie.
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