Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb could return to game action earlier than anticipated in 2024 as he continues to rehab and progress toward full strength.
Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb is ahead of schedule in his rehab after suffering a gruesome injury in Week 2 of the 2023 NFL season.
Not only did NFL fans not know if Chubb would ever be able to play football again, but Browns fans weren't sure if it would be for Cleveland.
Chubb's contract brought with it a cap hit of $15.825 million heading into the offseason, a number the Browns knew they needed to reduce to keep him in Cleveland.
In early April, the Browns and Chubb's representatives agreed to restructure the 28-year-old's contract, which reduced his cap hit for next season to just $6.275 million, with a chance to earn up to $12.2 million in incentives.
The Browns, on several occasions, were public in their efforts to keep Chubb around because of the impact he's already had on the Browns' culture since joining the club in 2018.
"They could have cut me dry and left me hanging, right? But they did a great job," Chubb said on June 6. "You know, I want to be here in Cleveland. They know that. So, we came to a great point."
On Sept. 18, 2023, Chubb suffered knee injury in Pittsburgh that would ultimately end his season. Chubb underwent the first of two surgeries on Sept. 29, 2023, which repaired the medial collateral ligament (MCL), the medial capsule and meniscus. Forty-six days later, Chubb had another successful surgery to repair the damage to his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) second surgery.
Now, nine and a half months after the injury, the Cleveland Browns running back is aiming to return early in 2024, although a specific game cannot be pinpointed. Chubb is taking his rehab process slow and the general expectation is that his long-awaited return will occur prior to the team's bye in Week 10. And no, Week 1 hasn't been ruled out yet either.
Chubb said his mindset shifted when he was able to begin running again, giving him hope for his future.
"I think when I started running, maybe I started kind of getting my mind back on, 'I'm going to be able to play football again,'" Chubb said on June 6.
At the current stage of his recovery, Chubb is able to run nearly full speed in a straight line without soreness or pain. The next step for Chubb is to begin running and cutting laterally, which is a big step towards returning to the field in Cleveland.
Chubb has primarily been working with Mike Worthington this summer in his home state of Georgia. Worthington is the strength coach and head boys track and field coach at Cedartown High School in Cedartown, Georgia. Chubb's alma mater. Chubb said he appreciates the love he's gotten from his hometown throughout the recovery process.
"Just blessed to be able to come from such a great hometown, with so much support from my family and friends, and just able to get back there and see where I started all, just this journey and just to feel the atmosphere, you know, just how do you get more motivation to get back," Chubb said on June 6.
The Browns' goal for the 2024 season is bringing Cleveland its first Super Bowl and if Chubb can return to his old self, their chances of winning the Lombardi trophy significantly increase.
