If there's one thing we know about Mike Tomlin it's that he can't hide his interest in certain players around the league. From getting a close-up, first-hand look at players on the pre-draft scouting trail to witnessing opponents carve up his team on the football field, Tomlin forms a bias toward players he likes.
Oftentimes, this results in the Steelers pursuing Tomlin's love interests in free agency or via trade—usually when a player is already past their prime. In recent years, Pittsburgh signed players like Myles Jack, Joe Schobert, and Patrick Peterson while trading for William Jackson III—the cornerback the Steelers were rumored to have drafted had he been on the board in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Now Nick Chubb could be next in line.
According to Jeff Hawthorn of 93.7 The Fan, there is 'interest in the Steelers organization' in the Browns' running back. On February 19, Tyler Dragon of USA Today listed Pittsburgh as the best fit for Chubb.
In his heyday, Chubb was as good as any running back in the NFL. As recently as the 2022 season, Chubb earned his fourth straight Pro Bowl honors after racking up 1,525 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. Sadly, the prolific running back hasn't been the same since his season-ending knee injury in Week 2 of the 2023 season.
Nick Chubb should be a hard pass for the Steelers
If Pittsburgh's interest in Chubb is true, we've run into another example of Mike Tomlin and the Steelers valuing past reputation over current performance.
Since Chubb suffered a gruesome knee injury on a Minkah Fitzpatrick tackle early in 2023, the veteran running has averaged 3.3 yards per carry on 102 attempts. Chubb's 27.3 percent run success rate is even more concerning as this was nearly cut in half from what it was over most of his career.
In addition to his extensive injury history and poor performance in 2024, Chubb has 1,340 NFL carries already under his belt as the workhorse running back for the Browns and he turns 30 years old during the 2025 season.
The Steelers were already an inefficient rushing team even with a former first-round running back on a rookie contract (Najee Harris) and an explosive change-of-pace back in Jaylen Warren on a rookie deal. They can't afford to get older, slower, and more injury-prone at the running back position.
The collection of these factors proves why the Steelers should steer clear of Nick Chubb. Pittsburgh's front office can't allow Mike Tomlin's interest in a once-productive running back to make a poor roster decision in free agency.