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Nick Chubb might not be at OTAs, but there’s no doubt that the Cleveland Browns Pro Bowl back is putting in work.
Chubb is a gym rat and his work shows during the year. His combination of powerful and elusive has helped him establish himself as one of the best running backs in the NFL.
He’s also known for not saying much, but he posted on Instagram a photo of his massive back on May 25 with the caption “Nothing can change what I am.”
Chubb also attached a video of himself doing power cleans with a huge amount of weight on the bar. That got the attention of the comments section, with a few of his teammates chiming in.
“I’m training wit u next off szn,” Browns cornerback Greg Newsome wrote.
Browns running back Demetric Felton chimed in with a simple: “Big back.”
Chubb has earned the right to skip out on the optional workouts, especially considering he’s on his own program. Asked if he was annoyed by the absence of certain players, head coach Kevin Stefanski did not characterize his feelings.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski was asked if he was annoyed by certain players being absent but didn’t want to characterize how he felt.
“I think it’s a voluntary program and the guys that are here, we coach them up,” Stefanski told reporters on May 24. “That’s how we approach it.”
Nick Chubb Projected to Have Another Massive Year With Browns
Chubb rushed for 1,525 yards and 12 touchdowns last season as the sturdy engine of the Browns’ offense. The former second-round pick has never been a first-team All-Pro but Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton is projecting that this could be the season Chubb does it.
“Chubb will probably handle the lion’s share of the touches out of the backfield until one of the Browns’ backup running backs proves capable of making the most out of limited action,” Moton wrote in a story published May 23. “In all three seasons under head coach Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland has ranked within the top nine in rush attempts, which gives Chubb a shot to rack up eye-popping numbers.”
Moton noted that Chubb could be in line for more work next season, which might be hard to imagine considering he notched a career-high 302 carries last season. He’s averaged 5.2 yards per carry over his five-year career in the NFL, which is among the league’s elite.
The Browns parted ways with both Kareem Hunt and D’Ernest Johnson this offseason, which will put more of the load on second-year back Jerome Ford, who is expected to pick up some of the slack.
Nick Chubb’s Future in Cleveland Has Been Debated
Chubb is an asset for the Browns — there’s no doubt about that. But teams that make deep postseason runs usually don’t have a running back as one of the more highly paid players on their roster. On top of that, the Browns could be shifting to a more pass-heavy offense next year in Year 2 of quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Chubb signed a three-year, $36 million extension with the Browns last season and his cap hit will be $16.2 million next season. That creates some questions for Cleveland, which they have the answer next offseason, per Zac Jackson of The Athletic.
“The Browns would take on only $4 million of dead money in 2024 if Chubb were not on the team. That’s not to say the Browns will be (or should be) in a hurry to move on from Chubb, who’s a phenomenal talent and a low-maintenance superstar,” Jackson wrote in April. “A decision of some sort looms, and eventually, the Browns will have to choose between another extension and moving on.”
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