Kareem Hunt is key to Nick Chubb making it through extension

Teams that pay running backs often regret it, but the Cleveland Browns won’t because Nick Chubb is able to share the load with Kareem Hunt, saving him some wear and tear

Nick Chubb got paid.

The Cleveland Browns and their star running back came to terms on a three-year extension on Saturday, which is really a team-friendly deal. Overall, Chubb can make up to $36.6 million in three seasons with $20 million of that being guaranteed.

While many Cleveland fans are thrilled to keep Chubb in the orange and brown, there might be some concerns about longevity since he does play one of the more physically demanding positions in the game. On top of that, we have seen several running backs land a big extension only to be off the roster in a year or two.

However, there is a reason to hope that Chubb’s story will be different than that of David Johnson, Todd Gurley, and Davonta Freeman. That reason is the presence of Kareem Hunt.

These aforementioned running backs were just as effective as Chubb when they landed their multi-year contracts but were quickly run into the ground. The biggest difference was, they were solo workhorses who carried the entire load.

Gurley, Johnson, and Freeman didn’t have a former league-leading rusher behind them to run up to 10 carries a game while also helping out in the receiving department out of the backfield. Chubb does have that.

In 2020, Hunt had 198 rushes and 38 receptions while gaining 1,145 yards from scrimmage. He also scored 11 total touchdowns, proving he’s still a dynamic playmaker, even if Chubb is the lead back.

On top of that, Hunt is under contract for the next two seasons meaning this dynamic duo can continue to help one another succeed for at least the 2021 and 2022 campaigns.