GM Berry: Nick Chubb 'increasingly unlikely' to return to Browns

General manager Andrew Berry downplayed the possibility of the Cleveland Browns reuniting with running back Nick Chubb following the NFL draft.

"I wouldn't rule anything out, but I would say that it's probably increasingly unlikely," Berry told 92.3 The Fan, per ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi. "We do have two young guys that we liked. We think Jerome (Ford) plays a role. It's basically kind of maybe seeing how the roles shake out in the running back room."

Cleveland spent two of its seven picks in April's draft on tailbacks, selecting Quinshon Judkins in the second round and Dylan Sampson in the fourth. Berry said he was in contact with Chubb's representation leading up to the draft, but admitted there hasn't been "strong communication" since.

Chubb remains a free agent after spending seven seasons with the Browns. He ranks third on Cleveland's all-time rushing list with 6,843 yards and 51 touchdowns, trailing only Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly. Chubb, a four-time Pro Bowler, topped 1,000 rushing yards in four consecutive seasons from 2019 to 2022.

However, he missed the first six games of last season while recovering from a significant knee injury sustained during the 2023 campaign. The 29-year-old returned to action but struggled to regain his top form, finishing with 332 yards, three touchdowns, and a career-low 3.3 yards per carry in eight contests in 2024. Chubb also missed the final three games of the regular season with a broken foot but has since healed from the injury.

Although Berry doesn't envision Chubb wearing a Browns jersey anytime soon, the general manager expressed confidence that the veteran tailback will improve his stats as he moves further away from the knee injury.