Since the team’s initial press conference in Berea last month, the discussion surrounding Nick Chubb’s return to the field has been when fans would see the running back make his return.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski and others have said there is no timetable for his return, suggesting the team does not know when Chubb will find his way back onto the football field.
Stefanski keeps his cards close to his vest, rarely revealing any information before required.
Yet it’s likely fans just got a peak at what those cards suggest for Chubb’s ability to return at the start of the 2024 NFL regular season.
Chubb – who did not participate in any drills during the final mandatory off-season practice – appears likely to become a late-season addition for Cleveland.
Compare Chubb’s inside workouts to what the Browns allowed quarterback Deshaun Watson to show in his final practice last week.
Watson settled multiple questions about his performance and when fans will see him on the field by throwing 50-yard passes downfield while on the move.
That performance suggests that Watson will be the starting quarterback when Dallas comes to town on September 8.
Chubb stood and watched those passes.
If Chubb were going to make a return at the beginning of the season, chances are high that the Browns would have shown him participating in practices to some extent.
His exclusion from practices makes a Week 1 return less likely.
Fans should expect Chubb to be a late-season 2024 addition at best unless he springs to action at The Greenbrier next month.
