CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Dark Knight plans on rising yet again.
Browns free agent running back Nick Chubb, who’s hero is Batman, made it clear on Instagram this week that it’s way too soon to write him off even though he remains unsigned.
“They’ve already wrote my ending when I’m just getting started,” Chubb, who underwent major reconstructive knee surgery in 2023, captioned his four-slide post, one of which was a video clip of him squatting 500 pounds. Another was a rendition of Batman rising over Gotham.
A four-time Pro Bowler, Chubb was permitted by the Browns to hit the free agent market when his contract expired last month, but hasn’t yet found a new home. The longer it goes, the more likely it is that he’ll end up with the Browns, who will likely welcome him back if he doesn’t find a better opportunity. Free agency was a chance for Chubb, 29, to see what was out there, even though he’s always said he wanted to finish his career with the Browns.
The Browns, who have 10 draft picks in next week’s draft — April 24-26 — including five in the top 104, are likely to draft a running back or two. They’ve spent extra time with a number of them, including Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins, who visited the Browns practice facility.
They also got an up-close and personal look at some of them at the Senior Bowl, including Georgia’s Trevor Etienne and SMU’s Brashard Smith, who both played on the American Team, which was coached by Browns special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone.
The Browns, who finished 29th in rushing with 94.6 yards per game, have recommitted to the run this season, and will likely add two or three backs to the room in the coming weeks and months. They currently have 2022 fifth-round pick Jerome Ford, Pierre Strong Jr., and fullback Troy Hairston on the roster.
The Browns might be able to wait until a little later in the draft to select a back, but last season showed how valuable they can be even in today’s pass-oriented game, with Saquon Barkley helping lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory and earning NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors, and Derrick Henry helping lead the Ravens to a 12-5 record. Barkley finished No. 1 in the NFL with 2,005 yards, while Henry finished second with 1,921, and they finished with 13 and 16 rushing TDs, respectively.
The Browns’ leading rusher, meanwhile, was Ford with 565 yards on 104 carries (5.4 average) and three TDs. Overall, the Browns finished tied for second-to-last in the NFL with only eight rushing touchdowns, only one more than the Kareem Hunt had for the Chiefs, and one fewer than Hunt had for the Browns in 2023.
The Browns could use another dual-threat running back who can catch the ball out of the backfield like Ford, but they can also use a bruiser for short-yardage and goal-line situations.
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The thing about Chubb, who battled back last season from his devastating left knee injury to rush for 332 yards and three TDs on 102 carries (3.3-yard average) before suffering a broken foot in Week 15 against the Chiefs, is that he doesn’t necessarily play a niche role such as third-down back or goal-line specialist, and the Browns want to make sure they have a role for him so he’s a lock on the game day roster.
But he got stronger in his final two games last season, averaging 4.5 yards per carry, and noted that he’d be better in 2025, another year out from the two surgeries it took to repair all the damage in his knee.
Depending on how the draft shakes out and where Chubb stands when it’s over, the Browns might sign him soon after.
As for Hunt, he told cleveland.com during Super Bowl week that he’d put in a good word for his close friend and former Browns teammate with the Chiefs, with whom Hunt signed a one-year deal last month.
“I just love playing with that guy,” Hunt said. “I love what he brings to the table. He’s all about business. He just shuts his mouth and goes to work. I love that about him. He can definitely play for any football team I play for. I’ve told these guys what kind of guy Nick is. He’s a beast.”
Of course, the Browns and their fans already know that.
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