Houston Texans RB Receives Depressing Outlook Amid Buzz

The Houston Texans signed running back Nick Chubb in free agency earlier this week, giving them a rather star-studded backfield that also includes Joe Mixon. Well, at least on paper.

Chubb is a four-time Pro Bowler and Mixon has earned a couple of Pro Bowl selections himself, but the fact of the matter is that the former is not quite the same dynamic talent he once was.

Injuries have absolutely derailed Chubb in recent years, and in 2024, he rushed for just 332 yards and three touchdowns on 3.3 yards per carry in eight games. He missed the first chunk of the season while recovering from a devastating knee injury he suffered in September 2023, and then, last December, Chubb sustained a broken foot.

While there is certainly some buzz surrounding the 29-year-old as he prepares for the 2025 campaign, Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport isn't incredibly enthused about the ex-Cleveland Browns superstar.

In a Fantasy Football-centered piece in which Davenport assessed some of the more crowded backfields in the NFL, he didn't necessarily have a great feeling about Chubb in Houston.

The sad truth is that Chubb looked washed last year even before breaking his foot—the injuries he has sustained over his career appeared to have caught up to him. This writer doesn't think the 29-year-old is a serious threat to a healthy Mixon's status as Houston's top back.

"The sad truth is that Chubb looked washed last year even before breaking his foot—the injuries he has sustained over his career appeared to have caught up to him," Davenport wrote. "This writer doesn't think the 29-year-old is a serious threat to a healthy Mixon's status as Houston's top back. ... Until we see differently, Chubb is no more than a late dart throw."

There was certainly a time when Chubb was one of the most explosive weapons in football, but there is a reason why he was available so late in free agency this offseason.

We will see if the University of Georgia product can find the fountain of youth next fall, but there is definitely good reason to be doubtful.