Texans' DeMeco Ryans Extremely Impressed With Nick Chubb

While the Houston Texans have been forced to be without their starting running back from last season in Joe Mixon, early this year due to an offseason foot injury, one newcomer who's seemingly stepped up in a big way leading up to Week 1 has been free agency addition Nick Chubb.

Chubb, who's been in Houston for just over a month now, has already made his mark in this Texans running back room that gives him a pretty intriguing outlook for his first season in Houston. Especially with Mixon potentially sidelined to start the year, more responsibility is inevitably placed on the shoulders of Chubb to be a big part of this run game and a key playmaker for the offensive unit entirely.

And in the mind of Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, he's been extremely impressed with what he's seen out of Chubb in his initial sample size, noting he's been looking better and better each week.

"Chubb, from the first day he got here until now, I've seen him just continue to grow and get better," Ryans said on Monday, per KPRC2's Aaron Wilson. "You see him get into football shape, and I see him look better and better each week. Especially once we put the pads on, it's like, ‘Wow, this is the Chubb that I remember.’ Physical downhill player. You see him popping some runs. He still has the explosion, the speed that it takes to make plays in this league. The guy just understands football. Very smart player. Playmaker. When you need him to make plays, he's going to make those plays. He's going to keep churning out yards."

"So, I'm very impressed with Chubb," Ryans continued. "I was impressed with him from afar, but being able to see him up close and personal, see how he works. This guy, pre-practice, he's in the weight room, he has his routine down. Just a true pro, and I think our guys, our younger guys, can see that and learn a lot from Chubb, who's dealt with a lot. But he's handled himself like one of the best in the business. That's what I expected we would get. But, seeing it, I'm just even more impressed with Chubb and how he's handled himself."

Jul 24, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans running back Nick Chubb (21) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

There are some lingering questions to be had with Chubb during his first year in the mix with Houston. The Texans' offensive line will be undergoing some significant overhaul, he'll be turning 30 years old this December, and most importantly, he'll be taking his first snaps in the NFL while not being a part of the Cleveland Browns.

But for Ryans, Chubb has taken all of the right steps in being an exemplary pro both on the field and alongside his new supporting cast, and thus, has commanded some significant respect in the building as a potentially big piece of this offense from the jump in 2025.

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