Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb has not played since Dec. 15. Known for his hard-nosed running style and no-nonsense, hard-at-work personality, what happened to the Browns’ backfield leader, and when can he return from injury?
Nick Chubb Injury Update: What Happened to the Browns RB?
On Dec. 15, in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Chubb sustained a broken foot in the third quarter.
The broken foot sent Chubb to the injured reserve with another season-ending injury, his second in the last two years. Chubb has become the walking definition of “resiliency” for Browns fans and even his coaches and teammates.
However, after dealing with consecutive season-ending injuries, the long-term damage that has been done can not be overlooked if you are in the Cleveland Browns’ front office. The one big question, though, is whether or not the injury sustained on Dec. 15 is the last of Chubb’s Browns career, as he is set to be a free agent at the end of the 2024 season.
Chubb entered the NFL with some serious promise at the running back position. In 2018, Cleveland selected Chubb in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. In Year 2, Chubb announced his arrival to the NFL by running for almost 1,500 yards on the ground. The Browns RB put up four straight seasons (2019-2022) of over 1,000 yards on the ground.
- 2019: 1,494 rushing yards
- 2020: 1,067 rushing yards
- 2021: 1,259 rushing yards
- 2022: 1,525 rushing yards
Unfortunately, the last couple of seasons have been less fortunate. Chubb had to deal with two major, gruesome knee injuries before the start of the 2024 NFL season, injuries that would leave most players more than likely composing their retirement speech due to the significance.
Chubb suffered an injury to his MCL and meniscus in his left knee in 2023, which was the same knee that he injured in college (MCL, LCL, and PCL tear in 2015). However, the “Nick Chubb” mentality has been one of a warrior. His dedication and commitment to returning to the field made the city of Cleveland’s appreciation for Chubb through the roof, a city with a blue-collar mentality that recognizes its star players with a similar mindset.
“Nick’s a pretty special football player,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. “He’s a pretty special person. I think he embodies a lot of what we want to be as Cleveland Browns and certainly, I think our fans feel that from him. And for me, from my chair, I get to watch him work, and I get to see the fruits of his labor.
“So, I’ve gotten to witness this journey, if you will, from back to last year and how hard he’s worked. So, I think that just resonates with our fan base.”
Chubb is currently the franchise’s No. 3 all-time rusher behind Hall of Famers Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly with 6,843 yards, as well as third behind them in rushing touchdowns with 51. Chubb has had a legendary run for Cleveland, and to speak for Browns fans, hopefully, they have not seen his last run in a Browns uniform.