Impending free agent Nick Chubb is one of the best players in the history of the Cleveland Browns, but the four-time Pro Bowler may have played his last snap with the team. A second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Chubb became one of the league’s best pure runners during his first five seasons with the Browns. Making the Pro Bowl in every season from 2019 to 2022, Chubb was the team’s lone consistent weapon before suffering a gruesome knee injury early in 2023.
While he returned to the field in 2024, he didn’t look like his old self. Averaging just 3.3 yards per carry and entering his age-30 season, General Manager Andrew Berry recently said that the teams “expects Nick [Chubb] to hit the market.” While he didn’t rule out re-signing the veteran, the Browns are in a rebuild and might not have the roster space for an aging running back who may not have anything left in his tank. Chubb makes the most sense for an up-and-coming contender, and these five teams could land the star playmaker.
Top 5 Team Fits For Impending Free Agent Nick Chubb
Los Angeles Chargers
Nobody believes in the power of the run game more than Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh. The former NFL quarterback has always operated a run-heavy approach, and his philosophy didn’t change with an elite quarterback in Justin Herbert running his offense. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a reliable running back, as J.K. Dobbins is a free agent and Gus Edwards disappointed in Year 1. While the team could invest in the stacked running back class, signing Nick Chubb as a free agent would give the team some much-needed veteran stability atop the depth chart.
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys will reportedly be “selectively aggressive” in free agency, which is just code for saying they won’t spend big on expensive free agents. It’s going to be another cheap offseason in Dallas, as the team saves up for the inevitable Micah Parsons extension. Nick Chubb shouldn’t cost much as a free agent, and the veteran has the track record to handle a three-down role. If he can return to form with more time to recover from his knee injury, he could be a solid buy-low candidate that could easily outplay a cheap one-year contract.
Denver Broncos
Javonte Williams is a free agent, and it’s safe to assume the former second-round pick is not in Sean Payton’s long-term plans. Williams never fully recovered from his 2022 knee injury, and now Payton must find an early-down bruiser that can take pressure off first-round pick Bo Nix. Nobody should expect Nick Chubb to return to his 1,500-yard form, but the free agent could make the most of his opportunity behind a strong offensive line.
Carolina Panthers
This one will depend on the long-term health of 2024 second-round pick Jonathon Brooks. Widely considered to be the best running back in his class, Brooks tore his ACL during his final collegiate season and this injury followed him to the professional level. After a longer-than-expected recovery, Brooks re-injured his knee after just three games. Chuba Hubbard is a reliable starter, but Chubb could ease his burden if the team is uncertain about Brooks’ long-term health.
Baltimore Ravens
It should go without saying that the present-day version of Nick Chubb cannot steal Derrick Henry’s starting job. However, if the running back cannot land a starting job, he’d make perfect sense as a high-upside backup in Baltimore’s offense. Henry is on the wrong side of 30 and, despite all evidence to the contrary, is a human being who will eventually slow down. If Henry needs a lighter workload, Chubb is more than capable of taking a few carries per game and succeeding in Lamar Jackson’s backfield.
Main Photo: Charles LeClaire – Imagn Images
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