Minkah Fitzpatrick has vehemently defended his hit on Nick Chubb during Monday Night Football The Steelers safety made his first public comments since the game on Thursday. "I'm a guy that is a competitor, that's going to go out there and play the game. I'm chippy, I'm edgy, of course, but I'm not a dirty player. But I'm not going to sit here and defend my character. I know the type of player I am. Chubb knows the type of player I am. I played against him for the past five years, two times a year. And I love competing against him. He brings the best out of me, and I bring the best out of him. No chance that I would ever try and purposely injure somebody, always. It was an unfortunate event."
Fitzpatrick hit Chubb during a goalline tackle that went horribly wrong as Chubb suffered a gruesome knee injury. The star running back will miss the rest of the season and will require surgery. "I didn't see anybody on [the hole]. And I made the decision as soon as I seen the hole open up -- and him in the hole -- to go low. … It's a fast game. … You make decisions within milliseconds. You can't really control what happens after you choose to make your decision. I already chose to go low. Somebody got on his back as I was going low, and what happened, happened; there's nothing I really would do differently. It's very unfortunate. Chubb's a great player. He makes the game a lot better when he's playing," Fitzpatrick continued.
Kareem Hunt Rejoins Browns After Chubb Injury
To replace Chubb, the Browns turned to a familiar face - Kareem Hunt. Hunt previously played for the Browns between 2019 and 2022. However, he left the team at the end of the 2022 season. Last month, ESPN and other outlets reported that Hunt had met with a number of teams, including the Saints, but would begin the season teamless.
Originally drafted in 2017 by the Chiefs, Hunt was released after a video of him assaulting a woman emerged online. The Browns signed Hunt ahead of the 2019 season. Over four seasons, Hunt has recorded 1874 yards and 16 touchdowns across 49 games. Per Ourlads, Hunt is listed as the RB2 behind 2022 draft pick Jerome Ford. Ford has 142 yards through the first two games of the season, including 106 against the Steelers. Furthermore, the Browns host the Titans on Sunday night.
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