Nick Chubb isn’t ready to ride off into the sunset — or settle for a smaller role — just yet.
The 29-year-old Cleveland Browns icon made it clear in a rare post on social media that he doesn’t see his career “winding down.” Instead, he’s gearing up for the next chapter — even as he tests free agency for the first time in his career.
It hasn’t been an easy road for Chubb, who’s faced a brutal stretch of injuries in recent seasons. In Week 2 of the 2023 season, he suffered a devastating left knee injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers, tearing his MCL and damaging his ACL. The injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year and some of the next.
After an extensive rehab process, Chubb returned to action in Week 7 of the 2024 season and made an immediate impact, scoring a touchdown in his first game back. But the comeback was short-lived. Chubb broke his foot in Week 15 against the Kansas City Chiefs, ending his season prematurely.
He finished 2024 with 332 rushing yards on 102 carries and three touchdowns, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry — by far the lowest mark of his career. For a running back with four straight 1,000-yard seasons, the numbers raised questions about whether Chubb had finally hit the wall.
But he feels far from done. In a social media post, the typically soft-spoken Chubb shared a clip from HBO’s “Succession,” where Logan Roy declares: “Winding down. Winding [expletive] down? I’m winding up.”
Nick Chubb’s Lack of Interest Could Lead Him Back to Browns
The Browns were open to letting Chubb test free agency, but so far, he hasn’t taken any visits or received offers. According to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, that lack of interest could ultimately work in Cleveland’s favor if they want to bring him back.
“To my knowledge, Chubb hasn’t taken any visits and I’m not sure if he’s talked to any teams. The longer it goes without Chubb finding another team, the more likely it is that he’ll end up back with the Browns,” Cabot said. “I think they wanted to give him the chance to see what he could get on the open market before accepting what will likely be a modest offer from the Browns. And if a team was willing to give him a featured role, it would likely be tempting.
“But since no one has made him an offer yet — sometimes that happens after back gets hurt — the Browns will probably strongly consider signing him in the near future. They’ll probably also draft a back, but that won’t preclude them from bringing Chubb back home.”
Nick Chubb Open to Return to Browns
The Browns are coming off a turbulent 3-14 campaign. But Chubb is open to returning to Cleveland, where he has played his entire career.
“Of course,” Chubb said of returning this offseason, per the Akron Beacon Journal. “This is where I was drafted. This is where I’ve played the last seven years.”
He added: “I’m not sure how it’ll work. This is the first time I’ve been a free agent. But I’d like to get it done sooner than later.”
When healthy and at 100 percent, Chubb is a consistent force. He’s rushed for 6,843 yards and 51 touchdowns over his career.
