Nick Chubb’s luck can’t seem to turn around as another setback adds to his and the Browns’ misery. After spending most of the 2023 season on the sidelines, Chubb appeared to be rehabilitating well, but recent reports have pushed his return timeline to over a month later.
Advertisement
As reported by Tom Pelissero, Chubb will miss the first four weeks of the 2024 season due to the knee injury he suffered last season. The Browns’ RB spent most of last season on injured reserve following a torn MCL and a damaged ACL, which necessitated multiple surgeries. It now appears he will have to start the season on the reserve/PUP list.
Browns RB Nick Chubb (knee) will start the season on Reserve/PUP list, will miss first 4 games of the season. (via @TomPelissero) pic.twitter.com/sA87drsKkC
— NFL (@NFL) August 26, 2024
While he couldn’t make any impact last season, the year before that was his best in Cleveland. With Deshaun Watson missing a chunk of the regular season games due to suspension, the Browns turned to Jacoby Brissett, but it was Chubb who carried the load.
He rushed for over 1500 yards on over 300 carries, adding 12 touchdowns. He also contributed to 239 receiving yards and 1 score
With that being said, the Browns were hoping to unleash all their offensive weapons, Chubb, Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, Elijah Moore, and David Njoku, among others, all in week one. But it seems they might have to rely on their remaining stars and backup rusher to carry the workload.
Chubb’s absence paves the way for other running backs
With Chubb out for at least four weeks of the regular season, it’s time for the franchise to turn to other players on the depth chart. One of them is Jerome Ford, who assumed the role of RB1 following Nick’s injury.
He contributed 813 rushing yards last year on over 200 carries, averaging 4 yards per carry. He also added 319 receiving yards on 44 catches and tallied a total of 9 combined touchdowns.
Pierre Strong Jr is currently the third rusher in their depth chart. However, last season, he carried the ball only 63 times for less than 300 yards and is currently making his way back from a minor rib injury.
Additionally, veteran D’Onta Foreman is fourth in the depth chart after agreeing to a deal with the Browns this off-season via free agency. Playing for the Bears, he contributed 381 yards on 92 handoffs last season.
The franchise also signed Nyheim Hines this offseason, and like Chubb, the former Bills running back is also recovering from an ACL injury that sidelined him for the entirety of the last season.
While the running back room can stay afloat without their star rusher for four weeks, thanks to depth in the rushing department, the club would be much better off utilizing the passing talents of Watson and the many offensive weapons they have in their arsenal.
With Nick Chubb absent to carry the workload, it’s time for the Browns’ QB to finally rise to the occasion and prove he’s the $246 million quarterback the Browns rolled the dice on.
