CLEVELAND, Ohio — When the Cleveland Browns used two of their seven 2025 draft picks on running backs, they didn’t just add talent to their roster — they potentially closed the door on one of the most beloved players in recent franchise history. By selecting Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins in the second round and Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson in the fourth, the Browns have essentially reconstructed their backfield without Nick Chubb.
“This weekend was not a good weekend for the folks who want to see Nick Chubb back in a Cleveland Browns uniform,” noted Browns reporter Dan Labbe on the Orange and Brown Talk podcast.
The selection of Judkins was particularly telling, as Browns assistant GM Catherine Hickman explicitly compared him to Chubb. Even more revealing was GM Andrew Berry’s description of Judkins as a potential “bell cow” back — the exact role Chubb has filled for Cleveland since 2018.
“A key word from Andrew that he used twice was bell cow when he talked about Quinshon Judkins,” Labbe pointed out. “As cool as it would be to see Nick Chubb back in a Browns jersey, it’s almost like, what good does that do anyone? Because Nick would be coming back as what? I don’t know. I don’t even know what his role would be at this point.”
While some fans might hold out hope for Chubb’s return, veteran Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot acknowledged the harsh reality of the situation.
“First of all, I would not completely rule out Nick Chubb coming back to this football team. As it stands right now, they’ve got Quinshon and they’ve got Dylan, their new rookies, and they have Jerome Ford. If Nick came back, he would be coming back really as the fourth running back,” Cabot explained.
That would represent a dramatic demotion for a player who has been the offensive identity of the Browns for years, rushing for over 6,000 yards and 51 touchdowns while averaging 5.1 yards per carry during his tenure.
“Even though everyone got so mad at me at the start of free agency for suggesting that this was the end of the Nick Chubb era, for all intents and purposes, it is the end of the Nick Chubb era as we have all known it since 2018,” Cabot continued.
The rookie running backs bring complementary skill sets to Cleveland’s backfield. Judkins displays a physical, bruising style somewhat reminiscent of former Brown Kareem Hunt, while Sampson offers game-breaking speed and elusiveness. Combined with returning back Jerome Ford, the Browns have completely revamped their running game.
“They completely transformed their running game choosing Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson,” Cabot observed.
The transformation leaves little functional role for Chubb, who at 28 years old and coming off a second major knee injury, faces an uncertain NFL future. His particular skill set as a between-the-tackles runner doesn’t easily translate to a specialized backup role.
“He’s not really a special teamer. He’s not really your short yardage guy. He’s not really your third down back,” Cabot noted. “He’s the bell cow. That is his role to be that bell cow back.”
The Browns’ draft choices may have been pragmatic from a roster-building perspective, but they also signal the likely end of an era for a player who has embodied the franchise’s identity. While the door hasn’t completely closed on a Chubb return, the path to a meaningful role in Cleveland appears increasingly narrow.