Browns ready to move on from star Nick Chubb: ‘Return is less likely'
Browns GM Andrew Berry said Friday that it is 'increasingly unlikely' that the four-time Pro Bowl running back will return to the team for the 2025 season.
The oft-injured 2022 All-Pro is a free agent following a seven-year tenure with the Browns, and after the team selected two running backs (Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson) in the 2025 NFL Draft, it doesn't look like a reunion is in the cards.
On top of that, the team is keeping Jerome Ford, who had been Chubb's backup but has started 18 games across the past two seasons due to injuries.
'I wouldn't rule anything out, but I would say that it's probably increasingly unlikely,' Berry told 92.3 The Fan about Chubb's future in Cleveland. 'We do have two young guys that we liked. We think Jerome [Ford] plays a role. It's basically kind of maybe seeing how the roles shake out in the running back room.'
Nick Chubb was a Pro Bowl running back every season from 2019-2022.
Getty Images
'You're never going to rule out someone as near and dear to our heart as Nick, and I would expect him to take another step being a year removed from the knee injury,' Berry added. 'But I'd say a return is less likely, at least in the short term, with us right now.'
Chubb, 29, has missed significant playing time in the past two seasons due to injuries.
Nick Chubb, 29, is currently a free agent.
Getty Images
He suffered a torn MCL and ACL in his left knee during a Week 2 game against the Steelers in 2023, which required two reconstructive surgeries.
In 2024, he sustained a broken foot in December, and he was limited to eight starts and 332 rushing yards on just 3.3 yards per carry.
Despite these setbacks, Chubb had one of the most productive running back stints in Browns history, ranking third with 6,843 career rushing yards and 51 touchdowns on the ground.
Chubb — who turns 30 in December — could continue elsewhere if he's able to find a home before training camps open in July.
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