Surprisingly, there hasn’t been much news this offseason about a potential Nick Chubb return to the Cleveland Browns. The veteran running back is still sitting in free agency a week after the start of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Browns likely shut the door on Chubb coming back after they used two picks on the running back position. Cleveland selected former Ohio State star Quinshon Judkins in the second and former Tennessee standout Dylan Sampson in the fourth round.
Granted, Judkins and Sampson are two different types of running backs, but it appears that the Browns are ready to go in a different direction. However, on Thursday, Ken Carman said on 92.3 The Fan that Cleveland wants to re-sign Chubb, but there's another team complicating matters.
"The Browns want to bring Nick Chubb back. They are trying hard to bring Nick back. I know this," Carman relayed Thursday. But he also noted the Chicago Bears "are trying to make [a] push" to sign the playmaker due to "serious" interest.
Carmen also mentioned it depends on who offers the veteran running back more. If you are Chubb, do you join a Chicago Bears team with a better offense on paper and a running back room without a clear No. 1?
The Bears still have D’Andre Swift, who was signed to a three-year contract last offseason. However, a new coaching staff has taken over, which will likely want to do things differently in the backfield next season.
The Bears didn’t take a running back until the seventh round in Kevin Monangai, but he’ll have a chance to compete with last year’s fourth-round pick Roschon Johnson. Ben Johnson had a ton of success in Detroit with the Jahmyr Gibbs/David Montgomery duo. Maybe he can sell Chubb on being David Montgomery in his offensive system?
Lastly, it’s not shocking that the Browns still want Chubb back. Even though the 2024 season was a mixed bag due to injury, he’s still a legend in Cleveland sports.
When healthy, Chubb is one of the better running backs in the league, but he’s also going to be 30 years old later in the season.
The Browns signaled one thing by drafting two running backs, but they still hope for a Chubb return, which is also confusing. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see what Chubb does, as Cleveland might usher in a new era at running back in 2025.