BEREA — Nick Chubb’s NFL career is ending in the uniform that always fit him best. The former Browns running back will sign a one-day contract Friday and officially retire with the franchise that selected him in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Chubb announced his retirement Aug. 21 after eight NFL seasons—seven in Cleveland and one with the Houston Texans. The Browns are scheduled to honor him Sunday during the home opener against Carolina, giving the Dawg Pound a chance to salute one of the most respected players of the franchise’s modern era.
His connection with Cleveland never depended on speeches, slogans or constant self-promotion. Chubb was quiet, dependable and brutally efficient. He built his reputation the uncomplicated way: show up, work, run through people and hand the football to an official.
Browns fans received an early glimpse of what was coming on Sept. 30, 2018, in Oakland. On his first carry that afternoon, Chubb took a Baker Mayfield handoff through a crease and raced 63 yards for his first NFL rushing touchdown. He finished with 105 yards and two touchdowns on only three carries, one of the more absurd stat lines in recent Browns history.
Later that season, he broke loose for a franchise-record 92-yard touchdown against Atlanta. Chubb soon graduated from explosive rookie to the center of Cleveland’s offense, producing four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from 2019 through 2022. His career-high 1,525 yards in 2022 earned him the last of his four Pro Bowl selections.
At his best, Chubb combined the power of an old-school fullback with the speed of a sprinter. He could drive through a linebacker, regain his balance after a hit and still beat a defensive back to the sideline. There was very little wasted motion and even less drama.
The numbers place him among the best backs in Browns history. Chubb’s 6,843 rushing yards for Cleveland rank third behind Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly. His 51 rushing touchdowns also rank third, and his 30 games with at least 100 rushing yards are second in team history. Those totals put Chubb in some serious company, which is about as understated as he would probably prefer it.
The part of his Cleveland career everyone would rewrite came in Week 2 of the 2023 season at Pittsburgh. A devastating knee injury ended his season and required two reconstructive surgeries. Chubb then spent more than a year working his way back, and his return against Cincinnati in October 2024 became one of the few moments that season that felt bigger than the scoreboard.
The comeback did not produce the ending anyone wanted. Chubb rushed for 332 yards and three touchdowns in eight games and added a receiving score before a broken foot against Kansas City ended his 2024 season. Cleveland moved on, and Chubb signed with Houston for 2025.
Even in a limited role with the Texans, he added 506 rushing yards and three touchdowns in 15 games. He retired with 7,349 rushing yards, 1,109 receiving yards and 59 total touchdowns in 100 games.
Injuries kept the back end of Chubb’s career from matching the brilliance of his prime, but they did not change what Cleveland saw for seven seasons. He was one of the NFL’s most complete runners, a dependable teammate and a player whose work habits carried as much weight inside the building as his production did on Sundays.
The Browns have had stars leave, relationships fracture and endings become awkward. Chubb spent his final playing season elsewhere, but the connection between him and Cleveland never felt broken. A one-day contract is ceremonial, yet in this case it simply makes the paperwork match reality.
Years from now, fans will not begin with Chubb’s final injury report or his last stat line. They will remember No. 24 reaching the second level, keeping his feet through contact and turning what looked like a routine run into a roar rolling through the stadium.
Nick Chubb is retiring as a Brown. There was never another ending that made more sense.
