The running game has been the Cleveland Browns‘ bread-and-butter for the last few seasons.
It’s hard to fault the team for using that attack to the fullest because of their stacked rotation with D’Ernest Johnson, Kareem Hunt, and Nick Chubb.
But what’s scary is that their ace running back still has much room for improvement.
#Browns Stump Mitchell: "Hell no we have not seen the best of Nick Chubb."
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) August 15, 2022
WEWS Reporter Camryn Justice shared a quote from Browns running backs coach Stump Mitchell.
The 63-year-old mentor who has been with Cleveland since 2019 said, “Hell no we have not seen the best of Nick Chubb.”
If that’s the case, then the former Georgia standout is just warming up for his career.
The Browns selected Chubb in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft and he immediately made an impact with 996 yards and eight touchdowns in his rookie year.
That was the only year so far that he went under 1,000 rushing yards.
His best season came in 2019 when he finished with career highs of 298 attempts and 1,494 yards.
He also had 36 receptions for 278 yards that season.
In his third season, the Browns made the playoffs and he had 1,067 yards to go with 12 touchdowns.
Last season, Chubb had 1,259 yards in 14 games played.
Those numbers helped him become a three-time Pro Bowler and a PFWA All-Pro in 2021.
The Next Step For Chubb
Aside from leading the Browns to another playoff appearance, Chubb can elevate his game by either having a 2,000-yard rushing season or by winning the running back triple crown.
Doing the first feat puts him in an elite group that has the likes of Eric Dickerson, Terrell Davis, Adrian Peterson, and Derrick Henry.
Meanwhile, he finished second in rushing yards, eighth in attempts, and tenth in rushing touchdowns last season.
Improving on those rankings will make Mitchell’s statement come to life sooner rather than later.
NEXT: Dawson Deaton Is The Latest Browns Player To Go Down With Injury