Four-time Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb announced his retirement from the NFL on Friday night, closing an eight-year career defined by bruising power, remarkable resilience, and two devastating knee injuries that ultimately shortened his prime.
The 30-year-old posted the news on Instagram, where he wrote that “health is the real wealth” after battling multiple serious knee injuries, including a college ACL tear and a 2023 multi-ligament injury to the same left knee. He closed the message with a nod to his roots: “Till the day that I die it will always be: GO DAWGS. GO BROWNS!!!”
Chubb, a second-round pick (No. 35 overall) by the Cleveland Browns out of Georgia in 2018, spent seven seasons in Cleveland before signing a one-year deal with the Houston Texans in June 2025. He played 100 career games, rushing for 7,349 yards and 54 touchdowns on 1,462 carries (5.0 yards per attempt) while adding 141 receptions for 1,109 yards and five scores.
His peak came from 2019 to 2022. Chubb earned four consecutive Pro Bowl selections and a second-team All-Pro nod in 2022, when he posted career highs of 1,525 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. He topped 1,000 rushing yards in each of those four seasons and ranked among the NFL’s most consistent and physical backs, often running through contact with a low center of gravity and elite vision. With the Browns he totaled 6,843 rushing yards and 51 touchdowns, placing him third in franchise history behind Hall of Famers Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly.
Injuries repeatedly interrupted that dominance. A torn ACL and additional damage in 2015 at Georgia required surgery. Then, in Week 2 of the 2023 season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chubb suffered another multi-ligament knee injury on the same left knee. He returned in 2024, playing eight games and rushing for 332 yards and three touchdowns before a broken foot in Week 15 ended that season. In 2025 with Houston he appeared in 15 games (nine starts), rushing 122 times for 506 yards and three touchdowns while serving in a complementary role.
Chubb never recaptured his pre-2023 explosiveness, but he remained a respected veteran known for his work ethic, humility, and quiet leadership. Browns fans embraced him as a hometown-style star who embodied the city’s grit. After signing with Houston he posted an emotional farewell to Cleveland, writing that the city “will always have a piece of my heart.” Franchise owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam have previously indicated he will one day join the Browns’ Ring of Honor.
The retirement comes after Chubb became an unrestricted free agent following the 2025 season. At 30, with a history of major lower-body injuries, he chose to walk away rather than continue in a diminished role.
Chubb’s career will be remembered for the punishing style that made him one of the most respected runners of his era and for the determination that allowed him to return from injuries that would have ended many careers. He leaves the game as a four-time Pro Bowler, a Browns legend, and a Georgia product who never forgot where he started.
