The Browns endured one of the most injury-riddled seasons in 2023. Cleveland lost quarterback Deshaun Watson a few times throughout the year before he needed season-ending shoulder surgery, multiple offensive and defensive linemen hit injured reserve with injuries and others missed more games with nagging ailments.
One of the biggest losses this past season, though, was star running back Nick Chubb. He sustained devastating knee injuries in Week 2, including a torn ACL, and was quickly ruled out for the rest of the year. Chubb needed two surgeries this past season, too, to repair his injuries.
He has a long road to return to the field, and the Browns will need him if they want to get back to the playoffs for the third time in head coach Kevin Stefanski's tenure.
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The last update we heard from the team in late March was that Chubb would begin pre-football activities in April. General manager Andrew Berry didn't sound optimistic about Chubb's availability for Week 1, though, and the running back more or less mirrored those sentiments during his first public address with reporters on Wednesday.
Chubb told reporters he's taking each part of the process "day by day" and he's "not looking too far ahead" in terms of his goals for recovery. He shook his head when asked about a timeline for his return to the field.
Browns RB Nick Chubb speaks for the first time since his season-ending knee injury in Week 2 that required two surgeries.
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) June 5, 2024
Chubb said he doesn’t have a timeline for his return to the field. pic.twitter.com/dBg3feoKS6
Bluntly put: This is not encouraging news for Chubb's availability in the short term. Not all knee injuries are created equal, and Chubb's was especially heinous after he sustained a knee dislocation with three torn ligaments.
In his stead, the Browns will lean on some combination of Jerome Ford and free-agent pickups D'Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines. Pierre Strong Jr. is also an option for the running back rotation depending on Chubb's recovery as the offseason progresses. Chubb is very much a candidate for the Physically Unable to Perform list, which would knock him out for the first six weeks of the season if he can't be cleared to practice ahead of Week 1.
Despite no concrete updates, Chubb remained hopeful for his future and was happy with how the organization helped him along the way.
"They could have just cut me dry and left me hanging, right, but they did a great job," Chubb said. "I want to be here in Cleveland — they know that — so we came to a great point."
Chubb added that had no ill will toward Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, whose tackle ended his season.
"I don't think it was a dirty hit at all," Chubb said. "I'm not blaming [Fitzpatrick]. It's part of the game."
