Nick Chubb’s return date remains uncertain, but many still foresee a big year from the Cleveland Brown’s star running back.
Chubb is rebounding from a devastating knee injury he suffered in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. It required two separate surgeries to repair both his ACL and MCL, the latest coming in November.
The injury was potentially career-threatening, but Chubb appears to have rebounded in a big way, proving his superhuman abilities yet again. The Browns’ Batman enthusiast has gone viral on social media for his training clips and is starting to look like his old self.
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski went as far as to issue a bold prediction that Chubb will lead the league in rushing next season.
“Chubb is a unique specimen and a force in the weight room. His feats of strengths often inspire awe on social media. As an example, he’s less than a year out from major knee surgery yet doing squats with six plates on both sides,” Sobleski wrote. “If Chubb opens the season as Cleveland’s lead back, with a more stabilized quarterback situation and fewer runners actually eclipsing 1,100 yards, he can easily don his cape and cowl and regain his previous status as the best of the best.”
Sobleski is not the only one bullish on Chubb. ESPN recently published a list of the top 10 running backs with input from executives, coaches and scouts. Chubb landed at No. 3 despite some uncertainty around his return from injury.
“Even if he’s lacking some explosion in the short term, he still has instincts and good feet,” an AFC personnel evaluator told ESPN. “Hopefully that shines through and he gets his power back. He’s such a good player.”
Nick Chubb Likely to Start Camp on PUP List
Both the Browns and Chubb have been careful about setting expectations.
“I’m getting better every day, taking it day by day, getting better,” Chubb said in June. “Yeah, just right now, trying to get stronger.
“I like where I’m at. I’m where I need to be, I would say that. The biggest thing for me is getting better every day.”
The Browns face a decision on Chubb, with players set to report to training camp on Tuesday, July 23. Chubb is expected to land on the active PUP list, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
“There are two PUP lists: active and reserve. Players on the active list, which is where Chubb is expected to land, can participate in team drills once they’re activated. Players on the reserve list must miss the first four games of the season,” Cabot said. “If Chubb (major reconstructive knee surgery) is activated during camp, it means the Browns are holding out hope he can play in one of the first four games.”
Chubb has collected 6,511 yards and 48 touchdowns in 77 career games — all with the Browns. He’s averaging 84.6 yards per game and 5.3 yards per carry.
Browns Backfield Prepare if Nick Chubb Misses Time
The Browns bolstered their backfield with a pair of offseason signings. Cleveland brought in free agents D’Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines.
Foreman is expected to play the Kareem Hunt-type role, while Hines is more known for his pass-catching and kick-return abilities. They’ll join Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr. in the Cleveland backfield.
If Chubb does end up missing a chunk of time, the Browns feel confident that group will be able to hold down the backfield.
“Jerome and Pierre, they got obviously a lot of time and a lot of reps last year and feel very good about their skillset,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said in April. “We’ve added a couple of guys to that room with differing skill sets that can complement those guys, but we think we’re in a pretty strong spot.”
The Browns open the season on September 8 against the Dallas Cowboys.
