Cleveland Must Take It Slow With Nick Chubb
Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Much of the discussion surrounding the Cleveland Browns concerns Nick Chubb and his ability to get back from a devastating knee injury. The recent news with Chubb is crazy optimistic, and that’s exciting for Browns fans. But before we (and the team) get carried away, it’s time to pump those breaks. No matter how much he’s chomping to get back on the field, the team needs to take it slow with him.
An Instagram update on Monday showed Chubb squatting 585 pounds, which is impressive for anyone. It’s even more impressive considering the injury he’s working his way back from. During the Browns Week 2 loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chubb went down with an injury that required two different surgeries, one to repair his MCL, and another to repair his ACL.
In March, the Browns’ general manager, Andrew Berry, said that he was doing well in his recovery but taking it slow.
“Honestly, it is probably too early to really understand what he’s going to look like,” Berry said this week at the NFL’s Annual League Meeting. “He’s doing truly doing a fantastic job with the rehab and he should start to load run probably sometime this upcoming month.”
Berry also said that the three months before training camp would be most important for determining a realistic timeline for his return.
“I think that 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 are going to be conservative in terms of our approach in our assessment with building the roster because he is coming off of a major knee injury. But I do have to give him a lot of credit. He’s done a really, really nice job.
“But I think we’ll have a better sense. Don’t hold me to it, but I think probably if you ask me that question around the draft, I may have maybe a little bit more of a specific answer.”
The draft has come and gone, and we haven’t heard much more about when Chubb might be back, but videos like Monday’s lend some credibility to the hope that he will be back Week 1. Even if he is fully healthy, though, the Browns need to not rush this and take this process slow. Chubb said back in June that he is in a good spot but is using extra motivation from people who don’t feel like he can regain form.
“I use that as motivation,” Chubb said, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “I see everything. It’s not the first time someone has counted me out, so I’ve been here before, and I’m not really paying much attention to it. But I do see it, and I’m just focusing on getting better.”
Chubb is working his way back from an injury that some thought he might not ever return from, and there is no guarantee at this point he will be the same running back that he once was. Assuming he can get back to full strength, though, the Browns most need him available for the stretch run. Chubb is 28 years old, which isn’t exactly old, but with the shelf life of running backs being shorter, the Browns need to be careful with how they use them.
In 2022, Chubb rushed 302 times for 1,525 yards and 12 touchdowns. However, at 28 years old and coming off an injury, they don’t need him to rush 302 times, and probably not even 200 times. All that should matter is that he’s healthy for the stretch run.
The Browns also have a solid running back room that will help get the team to the position to get ready for the stretch run. Jerome Ford might never be a star in the league, but he is a solid option after filling in last year and rushing 204 times for 813 yards and four touchdowns. Cleveland also brought in D’Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines to add more depth.
The Browns offense will be fine without Chubb early in the season as long as Deshaun Watson plays well. With a brutal second-half schedule for a Browns team that has Super Bowl aspirations, they will need their best players to be at their best during the stretch run, and that means ensuring Chubb is sufficiently strong and fresh through the early part of the season. Nothing else matters.
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