Kirby Smart addressed a Georgia Legend’s NFL exit on Tuesday, August 25, during a regular media session. The Georgia coach talked about the former running back after the news from the week before. 

Smart was asked about Nick Chubb’s impact following the retirement announcement. He said, “He’s just an incredible person and a leader… I got two years with him and the way he went through things and bought into what we were demanding… When you talk about human beings and where they come from… He has tremendous respect from our organization.” Those two years covered 2016 and 2017, the start of Smart’s time as head coach.

Those seasons came early in the program rebuild. Chubb already stood as a star after winning SEC Freshman of the Year in 2014 under Mark Richt. He had just come back from a major knee injury in 2015. 

Injuries marked much of Chubb’s career. The 2015 college knee damage hit the MCL, PCL, LCL, and cartilage. 

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In 2016, Georgia finished 8-5 and won the Liberty Bowl. Chubb led the rushing attack with 224 carries for 1,130 yards (5.0 per carry), eight rushing touchdowns, and five catches for 86 yards and one receiving touchdown. 

In the opener against North Carolina, he ran for a Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game-record 222 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries. In the Liberty Bowl against TCU, he added 142 yards and one touchdown in the 31-23 win.

The next year, Georgia went 13-2. The team won the SEC title, the Rose Bowl, and reached the national championship game. Chubb posted 15 games, 223 carries, 1,345 yards at 6.0 per carry, and 15 rushing touchdowns. He was named the team captain and offensive co-MVP. 

At Georgia, he finished with 47 games, 758 carries, 4,769 rushing yards, 44 rushing touchdowns, and 48 total scores. That ranks second in Georgia and SEC history behind only Herschel Walker. In the 2018 Rose Bowl against Oklahoma, he ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns. 

His physical play stood out in the SEC title win over Auburn. He later said he was “so glad I came back.” Georgia fell 26-23 to Alabama in the final.

Nick Chubb’s own words on retirement

Chubb shared the news on Friday, August 21, in a multi-slide Instagram post. He wanted to leave healthy after a winning season. “Today’s the day I’ve been avoiding for a while. Twelve-year-old me could never imagine this day, and 30-year-old me is wondering where all the time has gone. I’ve known for some time now, but I’m finally ready to share that I’m done playing football. I wanted to end my career on a healthy note, along with a winning season, and I was able to do that.” 

He left as a free agent two weeks into the 2026 preseason. The 2023 injury against Pittsburgh tore the ACL, MCL, and meniscus. He came back in 2024 but suffered a season-ending foot fracture against Kansas City. 

The lower-body issues cut into his burst. “Dealing with injuries was something else that wasn’t part of the plan. The only thing I could control after hurting my knee twice was getting back up, getting back to work, and getting back on the field. And I was able to do that both times.” 

His final season came with the Houston Texans in 2025. The team finished 12-5 and reached the AFC Divisional Round. Chubb appeared in 15 games with nine starts, 122 carries, 506 yards at 4.1 per carry, three rushing touchdowns, and 13 catches for 67 yards. 

His last NFL game was on January 18, 2026, in the Divisional Round loss to New England. In eight NFL seasons, he played 100 games with 1,462 carries, 7,349 rushing yards, and 54 rushing touchdowns. 

He also earned four Pro Bowls, a second-team All-Pro nod in 2022, and four straight 1,000-yard seasons from 2019 to 2022, with a high of 1,525 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2022.

Chubb closed his retirement post with, “Thank you to my teammates, my coaches, the fans, my family, my friends, and anyone who ever cheered me on. Twelve-year-old me could have never imagined where this game would take us. But 30-year-old me can look back and say we gave it everything we had. Till the day that I die, it will always be: GO DAWGS. GO BROWNS!!! Batman out.”