Getty Baker Mayfield hands off to Nick Chubb.
The final carry of Nick Chubb’s rookie season went for negative yardage. It also knocked him under the 1,000-yard mark, which he had eclipsed earlier in the Cleveland Browns’ season finale against the Baltimore Ravens.
Running backs are constantly judged by how many 1,000-yard seasons they have had in their careers, but Chubb didn’t have any complaints after finishing with 996 yards.
He has bigger concerns, which is something his head coach Freddie Kitchens took note of.
#Browns HC Freddie Kitchens on Chubb: “He went over 1000 yards and then the next carry was a loss. Not a word was mentioned about it. I even apologized to him. Not a word was mentioned (from him). That tells you who Nick Chubb is and what he’s here for. It’s about a championship”
“Let me tell you something about Nick Chubb, and it sums it up for him. He went over 1,000 yards and then the next carry was for a loss of three or four – I do not know the specifics – and not a word was mentioned about it, not a word. I even apologized to him, but not a word was mentioned about going up and under 1,000 after he had 1,000,” Kitchens said. That tells you what Nick Chubb is, what he is here for and how he approaches the game, and what the game is about for him. It is about winning. It is about winning a championship. It is about putting yourself in the best position possible to succeed individually and collectively as a team.”
Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt Building Strong Bond in Browns Backfield
For the second half of the season, Chubb will have some Pro Bowl company in his back field in Kareem Hunt, who the Browns signed in the offseason following his release from the Chiefs.
Hunt has racked up 2,151 rushing yards, 833 receiving yards in his first two seasons. He made the Pro Bowl in 2017 as the league’s leading rusher and was on pace for another strong season before being cut following video of him kicking and shoving a woman in a Cleveland hotel was made public.
Hunt has been very impressed with what he’s seen out of Chubb so far in training camp.
“Chubb is a beast. He’s a freak,” Hunt said. “The guy runs hard and I respect his game a bunch. I love the way he runs the football.”
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Hunt was handed an eight-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, but should be a key contributor down the stretch as the Browns look to break a 16-season playoff drought.
“I feel like it will definitely be something special. It already is something special,” Hunt said. “We are a good tandem.”
Chubb also spoke on the partnership and what he’s seen so far.
“It’s going to be scary. Kareem does a lot of great things,” Chubb said. “He’s a big playmaker. He makes explosive plays, he’s very athletic. Catching the ball too. It’s going to be fun to play with him.”
Browns Supporting Kareem Hunt Following Off-Field Incidents
Following the ugly incident last season off the field, Hunt has been seeing a counselor getting therapy for anger management and for alcohol issues.
He understands that he’s on relatively thin ice. If he slips up, there’s really no consequence financially for the Browns to part ways with him, considering his one-year, $1.1 million contract features no guaranteed money.
While Hunt hasn’t been in any real trouble since he’s been with the Browns, there was a late-night incident involving the running back that was caught on video, causing a small stir within the organization.
On July 1, TMZ released a video Hunt speaking with police following an alleged incident at a Cleveland bar. A Cleveland police spokeswoman told Heavy there was not a police report following what was initially rumored to be a bar fight, and it was later revealed to be just a “small argument” with one of his friends.
“I know I can’t have that,” Hunt said of the incident. “I look to move forward and continue bettering myself.”
Kitchens showed a bit of sympathy for his running back, knowing nothing is easy for high-profile players in the public eye in this day and age of technology.
“It’s never been harder to be a player in the National Football League,” Kitchens said. “Everything they do is under a microscope and with the advancements of social media and all that kind of stuff, every little thing — doesn’t matter how little or how small — it’s always going to made into a bigger deal. Kareem is always going to have our support. We are going to continue to support him just like we do every player we have. I’ll reiterate that we want them to be a better person 50 years from now and still be able to sustain and be successful in life instead of just worrying about right now.”
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