Cleveland Browns RB Nick Chubb has 'more motivation' after missing out on NFL rushing title
Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt spent time this offseason sprinting up a hill together in Westlake.
If the Browns have it their way, the dynamic running back tandem will soon be running all over the NFL, too.
Chubb finished last season second in the league with 1,494 rushing yards. He entered the finale with a comfortable lead, but Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans passed him to take the crown with 1,540 yards. In Week 17, Henry produced 212 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries compared with Chubb’s 41 yards on 13 carries.
“That doesn’t really bother me. It’s just more motivation. Just trying to do it this year,” Chubb said Tuesday during a Zoom video conference with Browns beat writers. “Just working out as I always do – working hard, running hard. I believe everything happens for a reason, and if you just keep working and striving, things will fall into place for you. So that’s my mindset.”
Now Chubb and Hunt have a chance to play together for a full season for the first time. After signing with the Browns last year, Hunt missed the first eight games because the NFL suspended the running back for violating its personal-conduct policy. Hunt had engaged in separate physical altercations with a woman in downtown Cleveland and a man in Put-in-Bay.
“I’m excited to be back with him for a full season,” Chubb said. “Last year, it was half a season. Now we get to go at it all hungry every game we play.”
Last season, Chubb started all 16 games and compiled 1,494 yards and eight touchdowns on 298 carries (5.0 yards per carry) to go along with 36 catches for 278 yards. In Hunt’s eight games, three of which he started, he racked up 179 yards and two touchdowns on 43 carries (4.2 yards per carry), plus 37 receptions for 285 yards and a touchdown.
A second-round pick in the 2018 draft, Chubb insisted he’s not worried about how new Browns coach Kevin Stefanski and his assistants will divide the touches among the running backs.
“Whatever happens, I trust in the coaching staff, and I trust in the team,” Chubb said. “I know they’ll put us in the best position to win. So however that looks, I’m fine with it.”
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When the Browns conduct their first full-squad practice of training camp Friday, Chubb and Hunt will be running behind the wide-zone blocking scheme Stefanski has brought to Cleveland. It’s a system designed to set up play-action passing, a staple the coaches hope will help maximize the chances of quarterback Baker Mayfield bouncing back from a disappointing season.
“Baker looks good,” Chubb said. “He’s come back and is saying all the right things and not saying some things. I mean, it’s great. We’re excited about Baker. I’ve believed in Baker from day one, and nothing has changed my mind. I know he’s excited to get out there and show the world who he is.”