Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb is lost for the remainder of the season after suffering a serious knee injury during Monday night’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
One of the best backs in the game, Chubb’s injury is brutal for him from a micro level. When it comes to the Browns as a whole, losing their best offensive player is a major setback. That’s exspecially true with the way Deshaun Watson has struggled this season (two touchdowns, four turnovers in two games).
Browns general manager Andrew Berry has gone all in for this team to contend in 2023. Without one of the top-three backs in the NFL, there are real issues right now in Ohio.
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The expectation is that these Browns will add a veteran running back to the mix. It could come via the veteran NFL free agent market or the trade block. Below, we look at four potential targets.
Kareem Hunt
The 28-year-old Hunt might make the most sense for Cleveland. He spent the past four seasons with the Browns and has widespread knowledge of their offensive scheme under Alex Van Pelt and head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Back in 2020 for Cleveland, Hunt tallied 1,145 total yards and 11 touchdowns at a clip of 4.9 yards per touch. It just so happens that Nick Chubb missed four games to injury that season. Currently on the free agent market, Hunt makes perfect sense for the Cleveland Browns.
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Leonard Fournette
The Browns could opt for a dual-threat running back in free agency. Hunt has not necessarily proven to be that. The same thing can’t be said for another current free agent in Fournette. Over the course of his final two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the former top-five pick recorded 142 receptions for nearly 1,000 yards while hauling in 86% of his targets.
Given Cleveland’s issues in the pass-catching department right now, Fournette might be the best fit. Unfortunately, he averaged just 3.5 yards per rush last season. Do the Browns have enough confidence in second-year back Jerome Ford to handle the bulk of the duties in this scenario? We’re not too sure.
Elijah Mitchell
It’s more than reasonable to believe that Cleveland will look to the trade market for a running back to replace Chubb. There is a bigger name out there (more on him later). But Berry really should put in a call to San Francisco about this young back.
The former sixth-round pick from Louisiana was stellar in part-time action throughout his first two seasons, tallying 1,386 total yards and eight touchdowns at a clip of 5.1 yards per touch. With Christian McCaffrey pretty much handling three-down duties in San Francisco, Mitchell did not attempt a single run this past week. It couldn’t hurt to put in a call to the 49ers about the third-year running back.
Related: Latest NFL injury report on Cleveland Browns’ Nick Chubb and others
Jonathan Taylor
Cleveland wasn’t linked to Taylor during preseason trade rumors for obvious reasons. At that point, it had one of the best backs in the game. What we do know is that the Indianapolis Colts listened to offers for the disgruntled back during the summer before placing him on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List ahead of Week 1. Taylor has likely played his final game with the Colts. He’ll be moved ahead of the Oct. 31 trade deadline.
As noted above, Cleveland has gone all in with this roster. If it can land the 2021 NFL rushing champion without having to yield a first-round pick in return, it’s a move the team might have to make. There really aren’t any better options available on either the free-agent market or NFL trade block.