Nick Chubb DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The Houston Texans officially signed free-agent running back Nick Chubb to a one-year, $2.5 million deal on Monday that could be worth up to $5 million, sources tell NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Chubb passed a physical after a gruesome left-knee injury in 2023 that required multiple surgeries. The former Cleveland Browns Pro Bowler was one of the most powerful backs in the league before his injury, as he went for a career-high 1,525 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 302 carries in 2022. He managed to play in just eight games last year, though, and wasn't the same, averaging a career-low 3.3 yards per carry with 332 rushing yards and three scores on 102 rushing attempts. Chubb also fractured his left foot in Week 15 last year, so he may never be the same explosive back he once was. Now in Houston, he'll be competing with Dameon Pierce for RB2 duties behind starter Joe Mixon.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, free agent running back Nick Chubb is anticipated to sign with the Houston Texans on Monday, assuming all goes well with his physical. The 2018 No. 35 overall pick was once one of the best running backs in the National Football League, amassing 1,210 carries for 6,341 yards while combining 52 trips to the end zone in his first five seasons. Unfortunately, Chubb suffered a serious knee injury in 2023 and hasn't been the same since. Joe Mixon currently sits atop the Texans' depth chart, with Dameon Pierce, Woody Marks, and Dare Ogunbowale occupying the other spots. As such, Chubb will have to battle for snaps in Houston, assuming he officially signs a deal. While that likely means Chubb's Pro Bowl days are over, especially since there are durability concerns, he could easily surpass everyone behind Mixon on the depth chart, giving him plenty of upside as an insurance policy.

The Houston Texans are eyeing free-agent running back Nick Chubb to bolster their RB room behind Joe Mixon this year, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "I was told that he's hoping to sign here soon, and maybe he gets something done before a minicamp gets into a team. Four-time Pro Bowler," Fowler said. It's unlikely that Chubb re-signs with the Cleveland Browns after they drafted multiple running backs in April. Dameon Pierce, the backup to Mixon in Houston, had just 293 rushing yards and two touchdowns in 2024. A gruesome knee injury has kept Chubb to 10 games the last two years, but he did rush for 1,525 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2022. The 29-year-old averaged a career-low 3.3 yards per carry in eight games in 2024, though, and there are valid concerns about whether he can ever be explosive as he once was before his knee injury.

ESPN.com's Daniel Oyefusi reports that, per general manager Andrew Berry, it's becoming "increasingly unlikely" that the team will re-sign running back Nick Chubb after they selected two rushers in April's draft. "I wouldn't rule anything out, but I would say that it's probably increasingly unlikely," said Berry. The Browns' GM also noted that Jerome Ford will play a role. This was the expectation after Cleveland selected Ohio State's Quinshon Judkins in the second round, and Tennessee's Dylan Sampson in the fourth, and now it's all but confirmed. Aside from his injury-marred seasons, Chubb had a fantastic run as a Brown. If this is it for him at that destination, he'll end his tenure as the organization's third-leading rusher (6,843 yards). It remains to be seen if he'll find work again in 2025, though it seems likely he will at some point.

While long-time Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (foot) remains on the free-agent market on the eve of the 2025 NFL draft, he doesn't appear to be considering retirement. "They've already wrote my ending when I'm just getting started," Chubb wrote on Instagram, adding a bat emoji. Chubb also posted a video on his social media page of him squatting significant weight, which is something he hadn't really done since a devastating knee injury that he suffered early in the 2023 season. The 29-year-old second-rounder and four-time Pro Bowler returned to play in eight games for the Browns in 2024 but didn't look like the same guy, averaging a career-worst 3.3 yards per carry on 102 rushing attempts for 332 yards and three touchdowns. Chubb also suffered a season-ending foot fracture in December, which no doubt has many teams skeptical about how much he can offer moving forward.