Chubb, who spent seven seasons with the Cleveland Browns, inked a one-year deal worth $2.5 million in May, though it could be worth up to $5 million if he hits his bonuses. With Mixon's injury, Chubb is going to have the first crack at working through the starting rotation over rookie Woody Marks and Dare Ogunbowale.

Chubb, who was brought in on a one-year deal during Texans' OTAs, has since made a positive impression on the coaching staff, thanks to his motor and ability to be a pro–something Ryans clearly admires in an impressive light, and has since his days dominating at Georgia.

Texans running back Joe Mixon is set to miss extended time with the foot injury that landed him on the non-football injury list to start training camp, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The exact timeline for his recovery is unclear.

The Houston Texans began training camp with dour news, placing Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. However, the Texans made contingency plans with another Pro Bowler, Nick Chubb.

The Browns’ veteran running back is returning for his fourth NFL season in Cleveland. After some negotiations, the team reduced Ford’s 2025 salary from $3.86 million to $1.75 million — a move that likely secured his spot on the roster and retained his veteran presence. Despite his experience, he faces young competition for carries.

In the offseason, Houston added more weapons to their offense. They drafted wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel while acquiring veteran wideout Christian Kirk in a trade. The Texans also signed running back Nick Chubb, pairing him with Joe Mixon in the backfield.

Four new quarterbacks, one new offensive coordinator, one blockbuster extension for arguably the best defensive end in the NFL, one farewell to the great Nick Chubb, and one mega-draft day trade later,

The Browns needed running back depth following roster cutdowns in 2023 and traded an offensive lineman to New England to acquire Pierre Strong Jr. Since then, Strong has logged 399 rushing yards across 31 games over two seasons in Cleveland. But with the backfield getting younger and deeper, Strong is now on the outside looking in.