Calls Mount Against Kevin Stefanski’s Browns for Rejecting Fan Favorite as Released RB Signs With AFC Contender

Over the last two years, Kevin Stefanski has used the word “disappointed” more times than he can count—unfortunately for the same player. While the head coach’s sentiments could be described as run-of-the-mill in the initial few instances, an injury-based absence can only be brushed under the rug for so long. So like every other front office, the Cleveland Browns were ultimately forced to make a business decision. One that certainly didn’t go down well with some fans.

But before we get to the crux of the matter, for the unversed: As per multiple reports, Browns’ 2018 NFL Draft’s 35th overall pick Nick Chubb is being expected to leave for greener pastures in the upcoming season, after the two sides could not agree on a deal. As per GM Andrew Berry this week, “I wouldn’t rule anything out, but I would say that it’s probably increasingly unlikely. We do have two young guys that we liked. We think Jerome (Ford) plays a role. It’s basically kind of maybe seeing how the roles shake out in the running back room.”

“You’re never going to rule out someone as near and dear to our heart as Nick, and I would expect him to take another step being a year removed from the knee injury. But I’d say a return is less likely, at least in the short term, with us right now,” he continued. Amid this, NFL insider Rapoport also reported on X: “#Browns free agent RB Nick Chubb, one of the most decorated players available, is expected to sign with the #Texans on Monday if all goes well with his physical, sources say. Chubb’s 2024 ended prematurely with an injury, but now he could return for more in Houston.” Keep in mind, this is the very AFC contender that dismantled Cleveland in the 2023 season’s playoffs.

ESPN‘s Jeremy Fowler, on the other hand, also threw some light on the matter: “I was told that he’s hoping to sign here soon, and maybe he gets something done before a minicamp gets into a team. Four-time Pro Bowler. The return to Cleveland’s not totally off the table, from what I’m told, but probably unlikely because of their draft plans, they drafted multiple running backs. I’m told Houston could be one to watch here. They’ve been looking at that running back market, maybe adding somebody with Joe Mixon.”

Notably, Nick Chubb back suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2 of the 2023 season that required multiple surgeries to repair a torn ACL, MCL, meniscus, and medial capsule. These devastating hits also forced Chubb to miss the first six games of the 2024 campaign. So now, Chubb heads south. He is likely to share a backfield with Dameon Pierce under the bright lights of an ascending Texans squad led by C.J. Stroud.

The irony is thick enough to cut with a chainsaw: joining the team that, just in January 2024, delivered a 45–14 Wild Card shellacking to Cleveland, a game where the offense, sans Chubb, looked utterly lost. For Texans fans, it’s a potential masterstroke—adding a proven, elite talent with championship mettle, evidenced by his 145 scrimmage yards in Cleveland’s 2020 playoff win over Pittsburgh. For Cleveland? It’s salt in a wound that never fully healed. It’s watching a warrior who embodied ‘Play Like a Brown’—accountable, relentless, tough—don rival colors.

In simple words: Fans will hate to see that sight.

From thunderous cheers to silent tears: Kevin Stefanski’s Cleveland is ending the Chubb Era

The reaction wasn’t just disappointment; it was visceral grief, a communal punch to the gut. “I have never wanted to puke more reading a Browns related story than today, reading about Nick Chubb!! I am HEARTBROKEN 💔 I WILL NEVER RECOVER,” one fan lamented, capturing the raw emotion flooding social media.

Another roared, “I f—– hate the Cleveland Browns… Nick Chubb should have been a Brown his entire career… sickening.” For six seasons (till his injury), Chubb was Cleveland’s poetry in motion – the 92-yard lightning bolt against Atlanta as a rookie, the 88-yard TD rumble in Baltimore, the snow-dusted heroics against Pittsburgh last November, embodying pure resilience after devastating knee and foot injuries. His over 5.0 YPC since 2018 (except 2024) sits third all-time in the league.

He wasn’t just productive; he was transcendent, a four-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro whose quiet leadership, Batman fandom, and deep Georgia roots (traced back to founding Chubbtown) resonated deeply. Coach Kevin Stefanski himself often said, “Mine too,” when fans called Chubb their favorite, praising him as a ‘no-maintenance’ superstar and ‘cultural tone-setter.’

So, anger quickly pivoted towards the front office. The writing was on the wall when GM Andrew Berry admitted back in May that bringing Nick Chubb back wasn’t looking good. So, it wasn’t a surprise when Cleveland finally moved on. In this year’s draft, they went ahead and brought in two fresh names – Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson – to join Jerome Ford.

It wasn’t just losing a player; it felt like severing a spiritual tether. “I knew it was coming to an end but it just isn’t right and I don’t care if you think otherwise NICK CHUBB SHOULD HAVE NEVER WORN ANOTHER UNIFORM PERIOD!!!!!” the sentiment went, a refusal to accept the harsh economics over profound legacy.

Do you agree with what other fans are saying?