The Cleveland Browns locked up one of their most essential pieces to their team on Saturday. Running back, Nick Chubb and the Browns agreed to a three-year contract extension for $36.6 million. The deal includes $20 million fully guaranteed and will carry Chubb through the 2024 season.
Last year Chubb rushed for 1,067 yards and 12 touchdowns in only 12 games. Chubb missed the final four games of the year due to an MCL sprain, marking the first time in his professional career he missed games due to injury. Chubb did manage to come back in the playoffs and help Cleveland earn their first playoff victory in 26 years 48-37 over the rival Pittsburgh Steelers.
Chubb played in all 16 games the previous season and rushed for a career-high 1,494 yards, along with eight rushing touchdowns. Drafted in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Chubb has quickly become one of the best running backs in the league. In three seasons, Chubb has totaled 3,557 yards and 28 touchdowns. Reports indicate he’s been working hard all offseason to add on lean muscle to become even bigger, stronger, and faster.
Amongst Chubb’s offseason workouts have been a variety of pass catching drills in an attempt to become a better receiver out of the backfield. If Chubb can improve his hands, he will be a complete back, and the Cleveland run game (which ranked 4th in the league in 2020) would add another wrinkle for opposing defenses to worry about. It’s no secret that the Browns depend on the run game to carry the team, and Chubb appears ready to take on a more significant load in 2021.
What Chubb’s New Deal Means to Kareem Hunt?
The Browns have another running back on their roster that many NFL teams wish they had at their disposal; Kareem Hunt. Hunt rushed for 841 yards and six rushing touchdowns last year and is capable of being a starting running back in the NFL. Even with Chubb’s new contract, Hunt will still be getting a lot of carries. The Browns are a run-heavy offense, and having two top-notch running backs is never a bad thing. Look for Chubb to receive in the ballpark of 20-25 carries per game and Hunt to chip in 12-15 rushing attempts per game.
Fantasy Impact
With Cleveland being such a run-heavy team, fantasy players should look to snatch Chubb up early in the draft as the volume of touches will be there every week. Cleveland will run the ball a lot and if Chubb improves his hands he can be a dual-threat out the backfield which means more fantasy points especially in PPR leagues. Chubb is one the best closers in the NFL so if the Browns have the lead in the fourth quarter Chubb will get a ton of rushing attempts in garbage time. On average, Saquon, Zeke, and Jonathan Taylor are all being taken ahead of Chubb in current Yahoo mock drafts. While their ceilings may be slightly higher if all the stars align, their floors are significantly lower than Chubb who will be a focal point of the Browns offense all year long. If he’s still on the board in late round 1 you should be ecstatic.
Running Backs in The AFC North
The Browns have not only the best running back tandem in the AFC North but the NFL in general. Chubb and Hunt are both legitimate threats to run for 1,000 yards or more this season. JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards are good and many have Dobbins pegged for a breakout campaign in 2021, especially with Lamar Jackson as their quarterback. Najee Harris will be fun to watch for the Steelers in his rookie season and may be a sleeper candidate to compete for ROTY honours. And we can’t forget about Joe Mixon of the Cincinnati Bengals; he’s a do it all back that should have a bounceback season. But with Chubb now locked up through his age 28 year, Cleveland appears to be the class of the NFL when it comes to the run game for the foreseeable future.
-LaMarr Fields
Twitter: @raiderway83