The Cleveland Browns may have signed Kareem Hunt earlier this offseason, and Hunt may have been one of the best running backs in the NFL before being released by the Kansas City Chiefs late last season due to a domestic violence incident, but even once Hunt returns from his eight-game suspension, Nick Chubb will—and should—remain the Browns' starting running back.
Chubb is coming off of a spectacular rookie campaign in which he racked up 996 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground while averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
Based on those numbers, you simply cannot take Chubb's starting job away if he maintains that level of production throughout the first half of the 2019 campaign. And I see no reason why Chubb won't continue to be terrific.
After all, Cleveland's offense should be even better this season than it was last year, as Odell Beckham Jr. is now in the fold and Baker Mayfield has a full season as the starting quarterback under his belt. With guys like Jarvis Landry and David Njoku also playing crucial roles in the offense, not to mention fellow running back Duke Johnson, it's hard to imagine Chubb not having another incredibly efficient season
No matter how talented Hunt is and no matter what he accomplished during his brief run in Kansas City, this is Chubb's job to lose, and he will really have to perform well below expectations in order to surrender it.
It's not like Chubb's brilliant rookie year came out of nowhere, either.
The Browns took him in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft for a reason, as he was a star at Georgia and registered three seasons of over 1,000 yards for the Bulldogs. In his final season at Georgia, Chubb racked up 1,345 yards and 15 touchdowns, and his best year actually came during his freshman year when he totaled 1,547 yards and 14 scores while recording a ridiculous 7.1 yards per attempt.
Over the course of his NCAA career, Chubb averaged 6.3 yards per carry, an indication of just how efficient of a runner he is, and that carried over into his first season on the professional level.
Now, this isn't to say that Hunt will be an afterthought in the Browns' offense, as he will obviously have a significant role. After all, he led the league in rushing during his rookie year, and he is a great pass-catcher out of the backfield.
But, it will be very difficult for Hunt to displace Chubb as the featured back. Not only does Chubb already have an outstanding season under his belt in Cleveland, but he also has the loyalty and trust of the coaching staff and his teammates, which is something that Hunt still has to build.
Realistically, Chubb and Hunt will likely represent one of the deadliest one-two punches in the NFL. I mean, having Kareem Hunt as your No. 2 back is a pretty ridiculous luxury to have, and that is what the Browns will own going into 2019.
If anything, Hunt's return at the halfway point will essentially represent a trade deadline acquisition and should serve to make Chubb even better.
But make no mistake about it: this is Chubb's job, and not even Hunt can take it from him.
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