CLEVELAND, Ohio — Much to the dismay of his adoring Browns fans, All-Pro running back Nick Chubb signed a one-year contract with the Texans on Monday after passing his physical.
It’s worth $2.5 million, with incentives worth up tp $5 million.
It means that Chubb, the Browns’ second-round pick in 2018 out of Georgia, with wear a new uniform for the first time after seven seasons with the Browns.
It doesn’t mean that Chubb won’t ever end up back in Cleveland someday or even retire as a Brown, but for now, he’ll try to help the Texans and their quarterback C.J. Stroud return to the playoffs for the third straight season.
Ironically, Chubb heads to the team that is still benefitting from its blockbuster 2022 trade with the Browns in which Houston sent quarterback Deshaun Watson to Cleveland in exchange for a net of five picks, including three first rounders. The Browns have made the playoffs once since the trade, losing to Houston 45-14 in the wild card round after the 2023 season.
The Texans have made the playoffs twice since then, losing both times in the divisional round.
Chubb, who underwent two surgeries in 2023 to repair his extensive damage in his left knee, will join former Bengals stalwart Joe Mixon in the Texans’ backfield, two backs who dominated for their AFC North teams for seven seasons before heading south.
Mixon, traded from the Bengals to the Texans in March, rushed for 1,016 yards and 11 TDs last season in helping the Texans to a 10-7 record and an AFC South crown. They beat the Chargers in the wild card round and lost to the Super Bowl runner-up Chiefs in the divisional round.
The Browns contemplated bringing Chubb, a four-time Pro Bowler, back this season, but he became expendable when Jerome Ford took about a 50% paycut to a guaranteed $1.75 million to remain with the team. That followed the Browns drafting Quinshon Judskins out of Ohio State at No. 36 in the second round, and Dylan Sampson out of Tennessee at No. 126 in the fourth round.
Former Browns Director of Player Personnel Dan Saganey likened Judkins and Sampson and Chubb and Kareem Hunt in their prime.
“When you pair the two of them together, you have two fast guys that run hard, run with energy,” said former Browns Director of Player Personnel Dan Saganey, who left for the Titans after the draft. “Both guys are kind of what I would describe as like Energizer Bunny type of runners but also have power and three down value so they can help you in both phases. Both guys have really natural, vision, strength, acceleration, speed, everything that we look for in a ‘back in our system. So should pair well together.”
This post will be updated.
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