The Cleveland Browns are still unsure about when Nick Chubb will return to the field but feel good about his progress and have no doubts he’ll be with the team next season.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry updated reporters on Chubb on Tuesday at the NFL annual meeting. Berry noted that the team still needs to address a new contract for Chubb but he doesn’t see that being a hurdle.
“Maybe the easiest thing is we fully expect Nick to be here and he’s doing a great job with his recovery and everything,” Berry said, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “And I meant what I said at the end of the season, I meant what I said at the combine. We do not want the injury in Pittsburgh to be his last snap as a Cleveland Brown.”
As things stand, Chubb will account for a $15.85 million cap charge for 2024. A reworked deal will lower that number and likely keep Chubb linked to the Browns longer.
Through six seasons Chubb has rushed for 6,511 yards and 48 touchdowns. His career 5.3 yards per carry is among the league’s elite.
Browns RB Nick Chubb to Begin Next Phase of Rehab
Chubb is set to begin the next phase of his rehab next month. He suffered a catastrophic knee injury in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had both his ACL and MCL repaired during two separate surgeries, the latest of those procedures coming in November.
The team has repeatedly noted that he’s been working relentlessly in rehab. For someone with a work ethic like Chubb, that’s no surprise. He’s expected to take the next step of his rehab with some pre-football activity soon.
“Honestly, it’s probably too early to really understand what he’s going to look like,” Berry said. “He’s doing truly doing a fantastic job with the rehab and he should start to load run probably sometime this upcoming month.
“… right now he’s strengthening his quad, he’s doing the rehab and everything, but it’s not like he’s going out and doing sprints, agility drills, stuff like that. But this month we expect that he will.”
Browns Unsure of Nick Chubb’s Exact Return Date
The update on Chubb is positive, but the team still does not have a firm timeline for his return. The best-case scenario would have Chubb on the field for Week 1, but the Browns aren’t going to rush him.
“As we think about it, until we see him in the next couple months, I think the next — call it three — months will be pretty telling in terms of his potential readiness for early in the season,” Berry said. “We’re going to be conservative in terms of our approach in our assessment with building the roster because he’s coming off of a major knee injury.
The Browns have added two running backs this offseason: D’Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines. Foreman is expected to take on a Kareem Hunt-type role, while Hines is valued for his pass-catching ability.
“D’Onta, he really, I think has a skillset that’s probably pretty similar to how we used Kareem this past year,” Berry said. “And then Nyheim was honestly really more for his return value and his pass game skillset.”
Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr. are also expected to return next season to bolster the running back room.
