RB Nick Chubb signs with Texans on 1-year deal: How he expands Houston's backfield

New York Times

a day ago

By Dianna Russini, Zac Jackson, Adam Coleman and Zach Powell
Former Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb, who was a free agent, signed with the Houston Texans on Tuesday, the team announced.
The contract, which was contingent on Chubb passing a physical on Monday, is a one-year deal worth at least $2.5 million and up to $5 million, according to league sources.
Chubb received more lucrative offers from other teams, but he would sign a more incentive-laden contract to join Joe Mixon in Houston's backfield. Chubb, 29, was sidelined for much of the last two seasons due to knee and foot injuries.
Welcome to H-Town, Nick Chubb‼️ pic.twitter.com/TODqUGNMDe
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) June 9, 2025
Houston will be just the second team Chubb has played for in his seven seasons. A second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Georgia, Chubb has impacted the Browns' ground game since his rookie season. The four-time Pro Bowler rushed for 996 yards in his first season, followed by four straight seasons of 1,000-plus yards.
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Chubb's 2023 season was cut short by a serious knee injury in Week 2. He returned in Week 7 of the 2024 season, but would wind up missing the final three games that season with a broken foot.
He averaged 5.2 yards per carry and 84.5 yards per game in his first five seasons, and 3.9 yards per carry and 50.2 yards per game in the past two seasons.
The injuries are a concern, of course, but Chubb on an incentive-laden one-year deal in a reserve role seems like a good bet for the Texans to make.
A healthy backfield of Mixon and Chubb only helps quarterback CJ Stroud and new offensive coordinator Nick Caley.
This is suddenly an interesting running back room, too. The Texans just used a fourth-round pick on USC running back Woody Marks to spell the hard-nosed Mixon, who dealt with injuries of his own last season. Then, there is Dameon Pierce, who could be on the bubble. He had an outstanding rookie season in 2022 but has since lost his way.
How it all shakes out in camp and during the preseason will be interesting. — Adam Coleman, NFL staff editor
The 2024 version of Chubb was not the same version we'd seen before. And though his departure from Cleveland becoming close to official stings the team's fans, the Browns had moved on, and had to. Chubb's gruesome injury in September 2023 in Pittsburgh marked the unofficial end to an incredible marriage of team and low-maintenance superstar that began early in Chubb's rookie season of 2018. Chubb almost always got the tough yards, almost always made the proper play and always wanted the ball without having to say it or post about it.
It's hard to tell what the Texans are getting in Chubb now, six months from his 30th birthday, but it seems a smart bet for a Houston team that plans to return to the playoffs.
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Chubb seemed to gain confidence and quickness last season before that broken foot derailed his comeback. If he can still serve as a between-the-tackles runner who brings physicality even without that extra gear, he can still be a useful and productive player. The Browns drafted two running backs and are smartly moving towards their future, but Chubb's presence and playmaking will never be forgotten. — Zac Jackson, Browns beat writer