Getty Images Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb got a message for his former quarterback Baker Mayfield.
While Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb may have gone their separate ways as teammates, the former Cleveland Browns quarterback still has a strong bond with his former running back.
Mayfield was one of the first people to send out his positive thoughts to Chubb after he went down with a devastating knee injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football.
“Love you Nick,” Mayfield wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Prayers up.”
It was confirmed on Tuesday that Chubb would miss the remainder of the season and face a long path back to the field.
“Very disappointed for Nick,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “He means a lot to this team, means a lot to this organization. So he will be missed. But he will bounce back. I have no doubt.”
The Browns are now looking at their options to fill the void left behind by Chubb’s injury.
“You don’t replace Nick Chubb,” Stefanski said. “Great players in the league, you look around, they go out. It’s always not one person that replaces a player of his caliber, so everybody’s got to do a little bit more, got to do a little bit more everywhere.”
Baker Mayfield Maintains Good Relationship With Nick Chubb
When things went south in Cleveland for Mayfield, Chubb still had his former quarterback’s back.
“He’ll still always be one of my best friends. He’s a great guy,” Chubb said prior the Browns trading away Mayfield last offseason to the Carolina Panthers. “I know with his intensity and his attitude, wherever he lands, he’ll be ready.”
Chubb was equally complimentary after Mayfield landed his new gig with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“I’m excited for him. Baker, I came in here with Baker,” Chubb said at an August 22 press conference. “He’s a great friend of mine. So, I’m excited to see him go out there and do well.”
Earlier this offseason, Baker Mayfield’s wife, Emily, commented on an Instagram post from Chubb, showing support.
“This got me fired up! Always cheering for you in the Mayfield household!” Emily Mayfield wrote in July.
Mayfield and Chubb were both drafted by the Browns in 2018 — Mayfield with the top overall pick and Chubb in the second round. Together, they helped guide the Browns to the postseason in 2020.
Browns’ Potential Reunion With Kareem Hunt in the Works
The Browns could turn to a familiar face to bolster their running back room with Chubb out, bringing in Kareem Hunt for a visit on Tuesday less than 24 hours after the injury news.
Hunt spent four seasons with the Browns, rushing for 1,874 yards and adding 973 yards receiving. He found the end zone 23 times during his time in Cleveland, but much like Mayfield’s, his Browns’ career didn’t end on the best note.
He finished last season with 468 yards on 123 carries with a per-carry average of 3.8 — the worst of his career. But with the Browns in a jam, Hunt could be a reliable veteran who comes in and knows the offense. If he can show glimpses of the play he showed in 2020, Hunt could find himself in a great position going forward.