Nick Chubb is returning to the Cleveland Browns.
Browns executive JW Johnson announced Thursday on Cleveland Browns Daily that Chubb will return Friday to officially retire with the organization. He will also attend Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.
“We are honored and privileged to have Nick come back (Friday) and he will officially retire as a Cleveland Brown,” Johnson said.
Johnson said the Browns would honor Chubb at the game, adding that “our fans will be fired up.”
The announcement gives Cleveland a date for a reunion that has been in the works since August. Johnson previously expressed the team’s desire to bring Chubb back shortly after the running back announced his retirement.
“I’ve been honored to watch him practice. I hated it when Nick left,” Johnson said Thursday.
Johnson attributed Chubb’s departure to the business of football and said he was glad the running back had an opportunity to play winning football with the Houston Texans.
Chubb announced his retirement Aug. 21 after eight NFL seasons.
“Today’s the day I’ve been avoiding for a while,” Chubb wrote on Instagram. “Twelve year old me could never imagine this day, and 30 year old me is wondering where all the time has gone. I’ve known for some time now, but I’m finally ready to share that I’m done playing football.”
Nick Chubb Built a Lasting Legacy With Browns
Chubb spent seven seasons in Cleveland, producing numbers that put him alongside the franchise’s greatest running backs.
He finished his Browns career with 6,843 rushing yards and 51 rushing touchdowns, ranking third in team history in both categories behind Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly. His 30 games with at least 100 rushing yards rank second in franchise history.
Chubb topped 1,000 rushing yards in four consecutive seasons from 2019 through 2022, earning a Pro Bowl selection each year. His best season came in 2022, when he rushed for 1,525 yards and 12 touchdowns.
A severe knee injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023 interrupted that run. Chubb underwent two surgeries before returning in 2024, then played his final NFL season in Houston.
Browns Still Searching for Answers in Running Game
Chubb’s return comes as Cleveland works to get its current running game moving.
Quinshon Judkins has 54 rushing yards on 24 carries through two games. The Browns managed just 44 yards on 23 attempts in their 23-19 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with quarterback Deshaun Watson accounting for 22 of those yards.
“It’s just continuing to get familiar, I think, with the things that we’re doing. And kind of like Deshaun, we’ve been encouraging him to let it rip, as a runner, in some ways. And I did think there were flashes of that last week that were really encouraging, and we’re excited,” Browns offensive coordinator Travis Switzer said. “And like I said, we trust in him as we do in all of our players, and that’s why we encourage them to go let it rip, man. Go be you and go play.”
Cleveland enters its home opener at 1-1 after splitting its first two games on the road. The Panthers visit Sunday before the Browns host the Steelers on Thursday, Oct. 1.
Browns Make Nick Chubb Announcement Ahead of Home Opener