4-Time Pro Bowler Enters Vikings Rumor Mill
Nick Chubb broke his foot last season — one year after a devastating knee injury in 2023.
4-Time Pro Bowler Enters Vikings Rumor Mill
That should mean the 29-year-old running back is cooked, right? Not so fast.
Chubb absolutely plans to play in the NFL this season and has entered the rumor mill for an unidentified NFC North team. Of course, some fans believe that is the Minnesota Vikings.
The Nick Chubb + NFC North Rumor
Ken Carman of 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland created the Chubb + NFC North rumor mill.
He said this week, “I heard he is kind of getting close to another team. It happens to be in the NFC North. I hope he comes back. I really do hope, but it’s looking more and more unlikely.”
The Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions somewhat vividly don’t need running backs, so the rumor mill for Chubb quickly narrowed to the Chicago Bears — and Vikings.
Most believed the Bears would exit the 2025 NFL Draft with a fancy new running back to align with new head coach Ben Johnson’s modus operandi from Detroit. They did not. Vikings fans also thought the Vikings would draft a halfback. They did not.
So here we are, with Chubb as a possible RB solution for both teams.
Could It Be … the Vikings?
The Vikings employ five running backs after the draft: Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, Ty Chandler, Zavier Scott, and undrafted rookie Tre Stewart from Jacksonville State.
The Vikings certainly don’t need a running back per quantity, but the quality angle would make sense for Chubb. Assuming Chubb’s injury recovery progressed swimmingly, he could possibly split RB1 carries with Jones, leaving Mason as the NFL’s very best RB3.
It could work.
More Realistically — the Bears
Admittedly, Chubb to Chicago makes more sense than Chubb to Minnesota. The Vikings may be content with Jones, Mason, and Chandler. Bears fans think their team should upgrade over D’Andre Swift, a hot-and-cold talent.
Chicago Tribune‘s Brad Biggs wrote about Chubb as a Chicago alternative this week: “Chubb could be on a short list of current free agents, but I’d be leery of his physical condition. He suffered a bad knee injury early in the 2023 season and reportedly required two surgeries to repair a torn ACL, MCL, medial capsule and meniscus. Credit to the four-time Pro Bowl selection for returning to the Cleveland Browns midway through the 2024 season and playing in eight games, carrying 102 times for 332 yards (3.3 average) and three touchdowns.”
“Chubb turns 30 in December and has been a high-volume player with 1,340 NFL carries. His best days are behind him, and because of his age and the severity of the knee injury, I’m not sure he’s the fit the Bears would be seeking if they’re in the market for a back.”
Biggs also mentioned tailback J.K. Dobbins as an option for the Bears, a man who could also be on the Vikings’ radar.
The Likelihood of a Browns Reunion
Chubb could also just rejoin the only team he knows — the Browns.
Cleveland.com‘s Mary Kay Cabot noted last week: “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.”
The Browns later drafted Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins and Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson, dampening the Chubb reunion angle.
She added, “Depending on how the draft shakes out and where Chubb stands when it’s over, the Browns might sign him soon after.”
Chubb’s Career Numbers
Chubb fired off four consecutive seasons with 1,000+ rushing yards from 2019 to 2022 — his Pro Bowl reign of terror.
He’s played 85 career games since 2018, tabulating 7,885 yards from scrimmage with 56 total touchdowns. Chubb averages about 5 yards per carry every time a quarterback hands him the ball.
Theoretically, he’d help solve the Vikings’ longstanding rushing touchdown problem.
The Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Angle
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah spent two years in Cleveland in that franchise’s front office, a lieutenant to Andrew Berry. Chubb was at the peak of his powers while Adofo-Mensah worked for the Browns.
If there’s any merit to the Chubb-to-Vikings rumors, it might be that Adofo-Mensah should know Chubb more than any NFC North team.
Those ties and relationships in sports often matter.
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