The names Minkah Fitzpatrick and Nick Chubb became permanently linked on September 18, 2023, when a routine-looking tackle in a Monday Night Football game produced one of the most devastating injuries of Chubb’s career.
The Cleveland Browns running back was carrying the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers early in the second quarter when Fitzpatrick came in low. Chubb’s left leg was planted as the Steelers safety made contact, and his knee buckled underneath him.
The injury ended Chubb’s 2023 season and eventually became a defining moment in the final chapter of his NFL career. Chubb announced his retirement at age 30 on August 21, 2026, after eight seasons.
Yet the story is more complicated than simply blaming Fitzpatrick for what happened.
The Collision
The injury occurred at Acrisure Stadium with Chubb just three yards from the Pittsburgh goal line.
Chubb had already gained five yards on the play when linebacker Cole Holcomb was involved in the tackle. Fitzpatrick arrived and went low, striking Chubb’s left leg.
Chubb’s knee folded in an unnatural direction, immediately bringing the play to a halt. He was carted from the field and subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the season.
The visual impact of the injury shocked players and viewers alike. It was especially painful for Browns supporters because Chubb had already suffered a serious injury to the same knee during his college career at Georgia.
The Damage
Chubb suffered a major multi-ligament injury requiring surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation.
The 2023 injury was not simply a conventional knee sprain or isolated ligament tear. It affected several structures in his left knee and required Chubb to undergo an extended recovery before he could return to NFL action.
The timing was particularly cruel. Chubb had entered the 2023 season following the best rushing campaign of his professional career. In 2022, he had produced 1,525 rushing yards, the highest total of his NFL career.
At 27, he appeared to be firmly established among the league’s elite running backs.
Then, two games into the following season, everything changed.
Fitzpatrick Responds
Fitzpatrick faced intense criticism after the collision.
Some fans believed his low tackle was unnecessarily dangerous, while others pointed out that defenders routinely tackle powerful runners low because attempting to stop them high can expose a defender to significant injury.
Fitzpatrick strongly rejected the suggestion that he deliberately hurt Chubb.
Speaking several days after the game, he described himself as competitive, “chippy” and “edgy,” but insisted that he was not a dirty player. He said he had made the decision to go low after seeing an opening and had only milliseconds to react.
He also said he spoke briefly with Chubb immediately after the tackle to make clear that the injury was not intentional.
Chubb’s Reaction
Perhaps the most important perspective came from Chubb himself.
Despite the severity of the injury, Chubb did not publicly blame Fitzpatrick for what happened. During his rehabilitation, he described the tackle as part of football and said he did not consider it a dirty hit.
Fitzpatrick’s explanation was therefore consistent with Chubb’s own public response: the collision was an unfortunate consequence of a violent, fast-moving sport rather than an intentional attempt to injure another player.
That did not stop the debate among fans.
Why the Debate Continued
The controversy lasted because the consequences were enormous.
A single tackle ended Chubb’s season and began a difficult rehabilitation. Because he was one of the NFL’s most productive runners before the injury, supporters naturally wondered how much longer he might have remained at his peak without the setback.
Chubb had recorded four consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons from 2019 through 2022 and earned four straight Pro Bowl selections. His 2022 campaign represented the high point, with 1,525 rushing yards.
That made the 2023 collision feel like more than a season-ending injury. It appeared to interrupt a career that was still climbing.
The Long Recovery
Chubb eventually returned to the Browns during the 2024 season.
He missed the opening six games before making his comeback against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7. However, his production was noticeably different from the player Cleveland had known before the injury. He finished that season with 332 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
The road back was made even more difficult by another injury in 2024, a broken foot that further complicated his recovery.
Chubb later signed with the Houston Texans for the 2025 season, giving him another opportunity to prove that he could still contribute at the highest level.
His Final Season
Chubb’s final NFL season came in Houston.
He played 15 games in 2025 and rushed for 506 yards and three touchdowns. Those numbers were modest compared with his Cleveland peak, but they represented something significant: Chubb had managed to return to professional football after an injury that could easily have ended his career much earlier.
When Chubb announced his retirement in August 2026, he emphasized his health and life after football.
His decision was not framed as resentment toward the sport or toward the players involved in his injuries. Instead, he expressed gratitude and said he was leaving football in a good place.
No Personal Feud
Despite the emotional nature of the 2023 incident, there is little evidence of a personal feud between Chubb and Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick expressed respect for Chubb after the injury, calling him a great player and saying the game was better when he was on the field. Chubb, meanwhile, refused to characterize the tackle as dirty.
That makes the continuing social-media debate somewhat different from a genuine rivalry.
The two players were opponents on a football field when a split-second decision produced a devastating result. Neither man’s public comments suggest that they view the incident as a personal battle.
Chubb’s career ultimately demonstrates how quickly circumstances can change in the NFL.
Before the injury, he was one of the league’s most efficient runners. He finished his career with 7,349 rushing yards, 54 rushing touchdowns and a 5.0-yard rushing average across 100 regular-season games. He also earned four Pro Bowl selections.
The Fitzpatrick collision became an unavoidable part of that story, but it does not define Chubb’s entire legacy.
He returned, played again and finished his career on his own terms.
For Fitzpatrick, the play remains a reminder of the fine margins involved in professional football. For Chubb, it became one chapter in a career already marked by extraordinary resilience.
The hit changed the trajectory of Chubb’s career. But it did not erase what he accomplished before it—or the determination he showed afterward.
