The National Football League Player’s Association released its 2020 rookie and veteran rising stars, and Nick Chubb is the top veteran rising star:
Wow, @NickChubb21 is @NFLPA’s top veteran Rising Star for 2020! Go Nick! pic.twitter.com/egMTJ6nJYH
— BrownsNation.com (@BrownsNationcom) May 26, 2020
During the offseason, Chubb has been working very hard.
He showed off his muscles in May:
👀 @NickChubb21 man just lifted a truck! pic.twitter.com/0GNmq3Jcyt
— Zach Chubb (@ZachChubb10) May 25, 2020
Also during the offseason, Chubb joined the Jim Rome Show to discuss the disappointing 2019 season for the Browns.
Chubb, a humble running back who has always been such a hard worker, is Pro Football Focus’s 14th-best NFL player under the age of 25.
Chubb was doubted in high school, but he has defied the odds and has become one of the best running backs in the league.
In each of his first two NFL seasons, he scored eight rushing touchdowns and finished with the second-highest rushing yards per game last season.
Jack Conklin wants Chubb to win the 2020 rushing title, and if he is able to do so, then Conklin and Jedrick Wills Jr. will be very helpful in achieving that.
With the Browns improving their roster considerably, Chubb and the Browns are looking strong heading into the upcoming season.
Who did Chubb Beat Out in the 2020 NFLPA Rising Stars List?
The Browns will begin their 2020 NFL season against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on September 13.
While Chubb has top billing among the veteran rising stars, Ravens wide receiver Marquise Brown is No. 4 on the list.
Cleveland then returns home to face Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals selected Burrow No. 1 overall in 2020 NFL Draft, and he is the NFLPA’s top rookie rising star.
The quarterback will be taking over a Bengals team that has not won a playoff game since January 1991.
In Week 3, the Browns host the Washington Redskins and 2020’s No. 2 overall pick Chase Young.
The defensive end ranks as the NFLPA’s No. 2 rookie rising star, and the Redskins are in search of their first playoff victory since January 2006.
The Dallas Cowboys, the Browns’ Week 4 opponent, has two players in the NFLPA’s list: CeeDee Lamb (the No. 4 rookie) and Jaylon Smith (the No. 6 veteran).
The Cowboys are coming off an 8-8 season and have made the postseason in three of the last six years.
Cleveland’s following two opponents, the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers, do not have any players on the NFLPA’s 20 rising stars.
Why is Chubb Such a Strong Rising Star for the Browns?
With Chubb’s propensity to miss tackles, he should be able to surpass 1,500 yards from scrimmage for the second consecutive season.
He registered 1,772 scrimmage yards in 2019, which ranked third in the NFL.
With Kareem Hunt expected to play all 16 games, Chubb may not finish with the fourth-most touches in the league this season.
However, if Chubb is resting more in 2020, that will help keep him healthy for the long run.
Chubb has been such an efficient runner during his first two seasons in the NFL.
His 5.2 yards per rush attempt were the fifth-best mark in the league in his rookie season.
Although he took a step back with 5.0 yards per attempt in 2019, he still ranked eighth in the NFL.
With Chubb’s impressive start to his NFL career, the Browns do need to start thinking about his contract extension.
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