Nick Chubb continues latest injury comeback; James Cook proving his value

Nick Chubb is doing it again in the NFL, making yet another successful comeback from a major injury.

The former Georgia football star and Cedartown High School standout remains relevant in the NFL after signing as a free agent in Houston.

Chubb’s latest highlight, a 25-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown run, gave his Texans a 19-14 lead that Tampa Bay overcame with a touchdown in the final seconds of the Buccaneers’ 20-19 victory Monday night.

Chubb noted in the postgame that his effort wasn’t enough, as he was stopped on a first-and-goal from the 1-yard line in a series that saw Houston turn the ball over on downs, but he remains optimistic the Texans can overcome their 0-2 start.

“There’s a lot of football left. I still feel great about this season and this team,” Chubb said. “We’re not going to let this stop us from achieving all our goals this year.”

If anyone knows about setting goals and achieving them, it’s Chubb. Chubb’s ability to comeback from major injuries in his career is as much a familiar sight for those who have followed his career as his success when the ball is in his hands.

This, from Chubb’s high school years, when he led the state in rushing as a junior (2,721 yards) and rushed for 2,960 yards and 41 touchdowns as senior.

At Georgia, Chubb posted three seasons rushing for more than 1,000 yards, making an immediate impact as a freshman with 1,547 yards in a Mike Bobo offense that set the current school mark for most points per game (41.7).

Chubb overcame the gruesome knee injury he suffered six games into his sophomore season at UGA and posted back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons before being drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft.

Chubb quickly reached superstar status in the NFL, rushing for 996 yards as a rookie before posting four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, peaking in 2022 with a 1,525-yard rushing campaign that also featured 27 catches for 239 yards.

But then came Week 2 of the 2023 season, when Chubb suffered a major knee injury that required surgery to the MCL, meniscus and ACL and knocked him out for the season.

The degree of injury was the sort that has ended several others’ NFL careers.

Chubb returned midway through the 2024 season, only to suffer a broken foot in his eighth game back, ending a campaign that saw him average only 3.3 yards per carry.

The Texans signed Chubb in June to a one-year, $2.5 million contract as a measure of adding veteran depth behind projected starter Joe Mixon. But there was a degree of skepticism that Chubb’s days of NFL relevance were over.

Chubb, noted as a man of few words, said otherwise last summer.

“That’s all behind me. Injuries happen,” Chubb told NFL.com in June. “With what I did (injury-wise), it takes about two years to really get back. So, I’m over the hump. Now, I’m feeling as good as I have been in a long time.”

Chubb has backed up his words by seizing the moment with Mixon sidelined by injury and Chubb overcoming the concussion he suffered in fall camp to take over the Texans’ starting role.