Nick Chubb announces retirement at 30 after eight NFL seasons
Four-time Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb announced his retirement from the NFL at age 30, closing an eight-season career that included 7,349 rushing yards and a celebrated comeback from a devastating 2023 knee injury.
Nick Chubb, one of the most respected running backs of his generation, is walking away from the game. The four-time Pro Bowler announced his retirement from the NFL on Friday night, closing the book on an eight-season career at age 30.
Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter): Former four-time Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb announced his retirement from the NFL at age 30.
A second-round pick by the Cleveland Browns out of Georgia in 2018, Chubb quickly became the centerpiece of the franchise's rushing attack. Before a devastating 2023 knee injury, he had run for more than 1,000 yards in four straight seasons, including a career-high 1,525 in 2022.
All told, Chubb finished with 7,349 rushing yards and 54 touchdowns across eight NFL campaigns. His blend of power, patience and downhill vision made him a fixture on highlight reels and a player opposing defenses game-planned around.
The defining chapter of his career was the comeback. Chubb suffered a major left knee injury in 2023 that cost him the final 15 games of that season and the first six of 2024 — the second major blow to that same knee after he tore multiple ligaments in it during his sophomore year at Georgia. In his retirement message, Chubb reflected on the grind of returning: "The only thing I could control after hurting my knee twice was getting back up, getting back to work, and getting back on the field, and I was able to do that both times."
Chubb signed with the Houston Texans for the 2025 season and opened the year as the team's lead back, but fourth-round rookie Woody Marks ultimately passed him on the depth chart. Chubb appeared in 15 games, finishing with 506 rushing yards and three scores — his most in a season since 2022.
In the Instagram post where he broke the news, Chubb thanked the game and offered a parting note to those still playing: "I say this to all my brothers still on the field, still in the heat of it: There's a life waiting for you after football, too. And health is the real wealth. I end my career in a great place. Even though there are some things I wish had happened differently, I can say that I have no regrets."