The Los Angeles Rams will open their 2025 season at SoFi Stadium on Sunday with a clear plan: stop the rushing attack of the Houston Texans and Nick Chubb.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Chubb is expected to take over as Houston’s bell cow back against the Los Angeles Rams with starter Joe Mixon sidelined.
Texans Name Nick Chubb Bell Cow Vs. Rams
“[Nick Chubb] is expected to be the Texans’ bell cow running back,” Rapoport reported. “Sounds like he looked really, really good in training camp, and they expect big things from him with last year’s starter, Joe Mixon’s status in the air.”
Mixon, who tallied 1,325 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2024, was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list in late August and will miss at least four games. That leaves Chubb, an offseason signing from Cleveland, with a major opportunity to revive his career.
“I’m here to do whatever I need to do for this team, for the city,” Chubb told reporters last week. “So, whatever’s called on me, I’m happy to go out there and give them all.”
Head coach DeMeco Ryans echoed that confidence: “Nick won’t surprise me in the game. I know what I’m going to get from Nick Chubb… I expect to see a physical running back who’s going to gain positive yards every time he touches the football.”
Chubb enters his eighth NFL season with plenty to prove after injuries derailed his final two years in Cleveland. He averaged a career-low 3.3 yards per carry in 2024 before a December foot fracture ended his season. Now 29, he insists he’s healthy again: “I feel good… I’m over the hump. I was able to get a full year in of doing the things that I do best. So, now I’m feeling good as I have been in a long time.”
Behind Chubb, veterans Dameon Pierce and rookie Woody Marks may see spot duty, but Houston appears committed to letting him shoulder most of the load.
For the LA, Sunday provides an early test of their revamped run-stopping defensive front led by Jared Verse, Poona Ford, and Nate Landman. Los Angeles struggled against the run last year, ranking 22nd in yards allowed, and slowing Chubb will be central to their Week 1 game plan.
Two playoff teams with elite quarterbacks and rebuilt defenses will collide at SoFi. For Houston, the spotlight falls squarely on Nick Chubb — and whether the veteran can still carry the weight of a backfield.
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