Texans Wire's Cole Thompson includes RB Nick Chubb as one of the "losers" of training camp so far. "Right now, starting Chubb might be the biggest red flag for Houston long-term," Thompson writes. "So far in camp, that burst needed to get through to the second and third level of the defense is nowhere to be found."
What They're Saying
We wouldn't make too much of this note from Thompson if it didn't follow some eyebrow-raising comments from HC Demeco Ryans.
"Guys age," Ryans said of Chubb. "He’s been through a lot. It’s not always gonna be the same as his early years in the NFL, but what I hang my hat on with him is that this guy loves football."
2025 Fantasy Football Impact
Ryans said, with all due respect, that Chubb has lost multiple steps. Thompson clearly agrees.
That shouldn't come as a surprise. Chubb is 29 and has suffered season-ending, lower-body injuries in two straight years. There was the 2023 multi-ligament knee injury and then last year's broken left foot. He mustered just 3.3 yards per carry across his eight games last season.
The Texans might be forced to roll with Chubb as their lead ball carrier if RB Joe Mixon isn't ready for the start of the season. But it'd be tough to treat Chubb as anything more than a RB3 or flex play in that case.
The state of Chubb's game also creates opportunity for rookie RB Woody Marks to win a significant role. He wasn't a very exciting prospect, though. And we've heard little buzz about his camp performance so far.
Perhaps the biggest fantasy takeaway here is that a healthy Joe Mixon would have a good chance at remaining a feature back. He's once again become an intriguing draft target as his price tag drops. We've seen Mixon fall into the eighth and ninth round of fantasy drafts lately.