Nick Chubb delivered on the expectation he set during his first media availability as a member of the Houston Texans and penned a heartfelt message to his former team, the Cleveland Browns.
Several Cleveland stars reacted and responded, including Browns All-Pro Myles Garrett.
“A legend and our brother,” Garrett said in the comments of Chubb’s Instagram post on June 12. “Thank you.”
Chubb’s message thanked Browns fans and the city of Cleveland. The Browns drafted Chubb with the No. 35 overall pick in 2018. He earned four Pro Bowl trips and overcame significant hurdles during his tenure.
“7 years,” Chubb began in the post, shared on June 12, noting how much the city “deserves” a perennial winner and predicting good things in the future. “That’s more than just time – it’s where I grew roots, found a home, and felt a love like nowhere else. Cleveland, you didn’t just embrace me; you became family.
“This isn’t goodbye to what we built; it’s a thank you. For the trust, the passion, and the moments that made me feel like I belonged here from day one. Cleveland, you’ll always have a piece of my heart. Until we meet again.”
Garrett was not alone, with former Browns RB Kareem Hunt calling Chubb “the truth.”
Former Browns and Texans linebacker Christian Kirksey weighed in, too, calling Chubb a “Legend in the Land.”
Texans Legend Projects Good Things for Nick Chubb, Joe Mixon
GettyNick Chubb #24 of the Cleveland Browns runs the ball against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Garrett and Hunt’s reactions to Chubb speak volumes about the veteran, who joins a crowded Texans backfield, but one that needs his skill set. Chubb joins fellow veterans Dare Ogunbowale and J.J. Taylor and youngsters Dameon Pierce and Woody Marks.
However, Chubb is expected to be the top option off the Texans’ bench behind starter and fellow Pro Bowler Joe Mixon.
Chubb believes he and Mixon will fit “great together.”
“He’s a bigger guy. Tall, explosive. He runs super hard, and I do the same thing,” Chubb told reporters on June 11. “I think it’ll be us kind of doing that back-to-back and against other defenses.”
Perhaps most encouraging for the Texans, Chubb is not alone in his assessment. Texans legend J.J. Watt also sees “fun” things in the RB duo’s future.
“He’s an incredible player. Strong, tough, fast, physical,” Watt told reporters on June 11. “The mentality that he has, the way that he works. It’s really tough to see a guy like that leave a great city like Cleveland because he represents what a Cleveland Brown – what Cleveland is. A tough, hardworking guy. But, hey, Texans will take him no problem.
“Really looking forward to seeing how he fits in that backfield between him and Mixon.”
Texans RB Room on Trade Watch
GettyDameon Pierce #31 of the Houston Texans runs with the ball after a kickoff return against the Indianapolis Colts.
Chubb’s arrival undoubtedly puts pressure on the Texans’ other back. Mixon is safe as the team’s starter, and they spent a fourth-round pick on Marks this year. That leaves Ogubowale, Pierce, Taylor, and 2024 sixth-round pick Jawhar Jordan as the top trade or cut candidates.
Pierce, a fourth-round pick in 2022 and a 13-game starter for the Texans as a rookie, likely holds the most value in the trade market.
The Texans’ top backs, Chubb and Mixon, have both battled injuries in their careers.
Pierce’s running style is the closest to theirs on the Texans’ roster, but the moves the team has made since his first season indicate they view him as anything but a solution. An injury, either for the Texans or another team, could speed up the process.
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