Nick Chubb Shows Love For Former Cleveland Browns Teammate

Ex-Browns running back Kareem Hunt will return to his hometown as a member of the Chiefs this weekend after spending five seasons in Cleveland

May 25, 2022; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt (27) and running back Nick Chubb (24) run a drill during organized team activities at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

They say the NFL is a fraternity, so the bonds formed by teammates don't end just because someone may change uniforms.

That's the case for Browns running back Nick Chubb when it comes to his former teammate and running back-mate Kareem Hunt. On Sunday, Hunt will return to Cleveland as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, after spending the previous five years with his hometown team. Even though Chubb and Hunt will be on opposite sidelines on Sunday, the bond they share from their time together in Cleveland remains unbreakable.

"Obviously he got drafted there, it means a lot to him [to play for Kansas City again]," Chubb said on Wednesday. "He was on pace to having crazy numbers when he first got there, his first year and second year, and obviously he ended up here for whatever reason. But I had a chance to get to meet him, play with him, which I'm blessed, he's more than a teammate, he's a brother to me."

Hunt did get off to a memorable start to his career with the Chiefs in 2017. A third-round pick out of Toledo, Hunt claimed the NFL's rushing title in his rookie year and being voted a Pro Bowler. In his second season, however, a video showing Hunt pushing a woman to the ground at The 9, luxury apartment building in downtown Cleveland. The video had been captured during the offseason but didn't come to light until the following fall. Ultimately, the Chiefs cut ties with the promising tailback in late November.

After spending the rest of the season as a free agent, Hunt was given a second chance with the Browns the following offseason. It looked like his time with Cleveland was over after the 2022 campaign, but after Chubb's gruesome knee injury in Week 2 of last season, the Browns reached out to an old friend, and brought Hunt back to help fill the void.

Now his career has come full circle, as he had an opportunity to return to the team that first game him an opportunity in the NFL.

#Browns CB Greg Newsome's season is officially over. So too is the Kadarius Toney experiment. https://t.co/DcfDcTd06x

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"He always expressed how much Kansas City meant to him," Chubb explained. "So to see him go back there and have success, I know that's what he's always dreamed of. So I'm proud of him, happy for him. Happy to see him on Sunday."

Chubb admitted that whether or not he thought Chubb should still be in Cleveland "above his pay grade." He may not don orange and brown anymore, but you can't take the Browns out of a fan favorite like Hunt.

"Kareem's from Cleveland. He loves the Cleveland Browns. He is a Brown," said Chubb. So yeah, I'm sure it was hard for him, but he's back where he started."