Nov 21, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (24) is introduced before the game between the Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Browns place RB Nick Chubb (broken foot) on IR

The Cleveland Browns placed Nick Chubb on injured reserve Wednesday, three days after the running back sustained a broken foot in the second half of a game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Chubb’s season came to an early end for the second straight year. He sustained multiple torn ligaments and underwent two surgeries on his left knee following a season-ending injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 18, 2023.

Chubb, who turns 29 on Dec. 27, started all eight games he played this season. He had 102 carries for 332 yards and three touchdowns and five receptions for 31 yards and one score.

Chubb has totaled 6,843 yards and 51 TDs on the ground and 1,042 receiving yards and five TDs in 85 career games (78 starts) since being selected by the Browns in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Georgia.

He was selected for the Pro Bowl for four consecutive seasons from 2019-22, topping 1,000 rushing yards in each campaign.

Also on Wednesday, Cleveland signed rookie tight end Brenden Bates to the active roster from the New York Jets’ practice squad. In addition, the Browns signed running back Jacob Kibodi to the practice squad and released tight end Cameron Latu from the practice squad.

–Field Level Media

Nov 21, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (24) is introduced before the game between the Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Browns coach: RB Nick Chubb breaks foot vs. Chiefs

Cleveland running back Nick Chubb broke his foot during the host Browns’ 21-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said.

Chubb was injured during the third quarter and did not return to the game. He finished with nine carries for 41 yards and one fumble, and no receptions on one target.

A four-time Pro Bowl honoree, Chubb got a late start this season after sustaining multiple torn ligaments and undergoing two surgeries on his left knee following a season-ending injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 18, 2023.

Chubb, who turns 29 on Dec. 27, has started all eight games he has played this season and has 102 carries for 332 yards and three touchdowns, and five receptions for 31 yards and one score.

“I have a first-row seat to what he’s been able to do,” Stefanski said after Sunday’s game. “I can’t tell you how much I respect him as a person, what he means to this football team. So really, really disappointed about this injury. Does not change the fact that he continues to inspire this football team with how he approaches every single day. I know this is just another obstacle that he will overcome.”

Cleveland selected Chubb in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Georgia. He has 6,843 yards and 51 TDs on the ground, and 1,042 receiving yards and five TDs in 85 regular-season games (78 starts).

He was selected for the Pro Bowl for four consecutive seasons from 2019-22, topping 1,000 rushing yards in each campaign.

–Field Level Media

Browns running back Nick Chubb serves a guest speaker for the Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Awards, Friday, June 21, 2024, at the Akron Civic Theatre.

Browns activate RB Nick Chubb, S Juan Thornhill

The Cleveland Browns activated running back Nick Chubb from the physically unable to perform list on Saturday and safety Juan Thornhill from injured reserve.

Chubb, 28, is expected to make his season debut for Cleveland on Sunday against the rival Cincinnati Bengals. He is making his return after he sustained multiple torn ligaments and underwent two surgeries on his left knee following a season-ending injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 18, 2023.

Chubb will join D’Onta Foreman and Pierre Strong in the backfield as the Browns (1-5) bid to snap a four-game losing skid. Fellow running back Jerome Ford (hamstring) has been ruled out against the Bengals (2-4).

Chubb made four consecutive Pro Bowl teams (2019-22) and rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of those seasons, including 1,525 in 2022.

Since being selected by the Browns with the 35th overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, Chubb has run for 6,511 yards and 48 touchdowns in 77 games.

Thornhill, 29, recorded nine tackles before hurting his calf in Cleveland’s season opener. He promptly was placed on injured reserve.

Thornhill has totaled 297 tackles and eight interceptions in 77 career games (64 starts) with the Kansas City Chiefs (2019-22) and Browns.

–Field Level Media

Cleveland Brown Running back Nick Chubb talks to the athletes attending The 2024 Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Awards, Friday, June 21, 2024, at the Akron Civic Theatre.

RB Nick Chubb to Browns fans: ‘I gotta pay ya back’

Browns running back Nick Chubb sent a message to the fans and city of Cleveland via The Players’ Tribune.

Chubb, 28, bared his soul in the article that he posted on his X account (formerly Twitter) Wednesday, four days before his expected return to action following multiple torn ligaments and two surgeries on his left knee.

“I was meant for this city,” Chubb wrote. “I’ve tried to work my (backside) off every day to get us where we need to go, and even though we have gotten close, I feel like I have serious unfinished business. That’s why it hurt me so bad to go down last season. We were just starting to cook… There’s only one thing left to do now. I gotta pay ya back.”

That might be a lofty goal given the Browns (1-5) have stumbled out of the gate, losing four in a row heading into Sunday’s game against the visiting Cincinnati Bengals (2-4).

Chubb also reflected on his injury sustained versus the rival Pittsburgh Steelers last season and he thought “this could be it” for his NFL career.

Chubb, however, said he was strengthened by the outpouring of support from friends and even over social media, including one post from NBA superstar LeBron James.

“For real though, those messages meant the world to me,” Chubb wrote. “Just LeBron and everybody showing me love in a really dark time. But I can’t lie to you. At that moment, I was thinking that I had probably played my last NFL down.

“There was one thing that got me through it. One thing that kept me positive. And it’s been the same thing since I was young. My why … My family.”

Chubb shared his thoughts after he was selected by the Browns in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

“I turned to my mom like, “You know as soon as I get a couple of those NFL checks, I’m retiring you, right?” Chubb wrote.

“The Browns changed my life that night, but more importantly, they changed my family’s life.”

On Sunday, Chubb hopes to change the trajectory of the Browns this season. And he feels he was meant to do that.

–Field Level Media

Browns running back Nick Chubb serves a guest speaker for the Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Awards, Friday, June 21, 2024, at the Akron Civic Theatre.

Browns RB Nick Chubb ruled out vs. Eagles

Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the host Philadelphia Eagles as he continues to work his way back from reconstructive knee surgery.

“I think he’s just building on every single day,” coach Kevin Stefanski said of Chubb, who returned to practice last week after beginning the season on the physically unable to perform list.

“I think he’s doing a nice job in the scout team. He’s doing a nice job when he gets some reps with the offense. So, he just continues to build on every single day.”

The Browns (1-4) have until Oct. 22 to activate Chubb to the 53-man roster. He is returning from multiple torn ligaments and two surgeries on his left knee, which he injured in Week 2 of last season.

Stefanski said right tackle Jack Conklin will be active for the first time this season for Cleveland’s game against Philadelphia (2-2). Conklin has been sidelined since sustaining a knee injury in the opener of the 2023 season.

Rookie defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. will be activated after serving a five-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, Stefanski said.

The Browns listed cornerback Denzel Ward (hamstring), linebackers Jordan Hicks (ankle) and Mohamoud Diabate (hip) and defensive tackle Maurice Hurst II (elbow, triceps) as questionable against the Eagles.

“I thought (Ward) looked like himself, but really need to get through the next 24-48 hours before you make a final determination there,” Stefanski said.

The Browns also ruled out safeties Grant Delpit (concussion) and Ronnie Hickman (ankle), running back Nyheim Hines (knee), tackle James Hudson III (shoulder) and center Ethan Pocic (knee).

–Field Level Media

Browns running back Nick Chubb is all smiles on the sideline during minicamp, Tuesday, June 11, 2024, in Berea.

Browns RB Nick Chubb: Practice return ‘felt like a dream’

Browns running back Nick Chubb returned to practice on Wednesday and plans to be on the field on gameday when he’s ready.

In his one-step-a-time progression following reconstructive knee surgery, Chubb required a helmet on Wednesday for the first time in 12 months. He checks off another step Thursday when he dons full pads and gets to run through a tackle attempt for the first time since Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick’s legal, but low, hit sent him down this rehab path.

The timing of his next move is anyone’s guess.

“I guess we’ll all find out at the same time,” Chubb said Thursday of when he might be cleared to play in a game. “I’ve practiced one day. I have no idea. Today I get the pads on.”

Mental hurdles are largely behind him, said Chubb, who is returning from multiple torn ligaments and two surgeries on his left knee. He attacked rehab from the injury that took him out in Week 2 of last season. Not long after, Chubb was conducting self-charted two-a-day training sessions that both shocked and thrilled Cleveland’s front office.

Chubb said he’ll need to make sure he’s where he needs to be before returning for his first game since Sept. 23, 2023.

“They told me take however long I need to. Whenever I feel great, I’ll be out there,” Chubb said.

At practice on Wednesday, Chubb said he felt great energy and teammates shared a similar sentiment. The spike in joy for the franchise is welcome after a 1-3 start has the Browns scrambling to stay in contention in the AFC North.

Chubb said he’s in a third different running back room and noticed the growth of former backup Jerome Ford, who is the team’s rushing leader for the second consecutive season.

“He’s come a very long way,” Chubb said.

Because Chubb survived a major knee injury at Georgia, he understands that others will have concerns about his risk of re-injury. He claimed Thursday there is no similar thought between his ears.

“Once you get out there and you’re running around, it’s like you’re 8 years old again. It’s like riding a bike. (Injury risk) is not something in my head,” Chubb said. “It didn’t feel real. It felt like a dream. It felt great to get all of that off my shoulders and get back out there.”

Chubb, 28, is a four-time Pro Bowl selection and four-time 1,000-yard rusher. The 2018 second-round pick ranks fourth in franchise history with 6,511 career rushing yards.

–Field Level Media

Oct 31, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (24) steps over Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt (57) after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images

Browns RB Nick Chubb practices for first time since Sept. 2023

Nick Chubb suited up for practice with the Cleveland Browns for the first time since September 2023.

“Nick’s working through injuries and rehabbing, you’re always excited when they’re back in pads,” coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Nick has been here every day so not far from what we’re doing, not far from what we’re thinking about. He’s in every meeting. He’s here very early. This is just the next natural progression for him.”

Chubb and running back Nyheim Hines, both rehabbing knee injuries, are returning to practice with a 21-day window to be activated by the Browns. They’ve pushed each other in rehab and workouts, training sessions and film study since graduating to straight-line sprints early in training camp.

The next steps are the trickiest to predict and the Browns plan to follow the lead of their medical team and the individual players to determine when — and if — either is part of the plan by November.

The Browns are averaging 4.3 yards per carry with Jerome Ford leading the team in rushing (39 carries, 203 yards) behind an offensive line decimated by injuries.

Chubb was placed on injured reserve Week 2 of last season with a torn meniscus and ACL in his left knee. He required multiple reconstructive knee surgeries even to get to the rehab phase. Once he got there, Chubb lived up to his reputation as a dogged weightlifter and worked on a training regimen that began at the University of Georgia and continued at the Browns’ facility in Berea, Ohio.

Browns general manager Andrew Berry said Chubb was “doing two-a-day practices for rehab,” which guided the franchise’s decision to fight to keep him on the roster with a restructured deal.

Chubb made four consecutive Pro Bowl teams (2019-22) and rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of those seasons, including 1,525 in 2022.

Since being selected by the Browns with the 35th overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, Chubb has run for 6,511 yards and 48 touchdowns in 77 games.

Berry said that during the 2023 season, Chubb kept his preparation locked in as if he were playing in a regular season game. The routine, down to his pre-dawn arrivals and workout recovery plan, didn’t change. All of the money Chubb could have earned in base salary is now available in incentives if he returns.

“I probably came into (last season), let’s say on a scale of 1 to 10 in terms of respect for Nick Chubb — it was a 10. And probably coming out of this year, it’s now a 20,” Berry said.

Prior to camp, Chubb posted a video of himself squatting 540 pounds. A month later, a video featured Chubb doing one-legged lateral jumps.

Asked in the preseason if Chubb could possibly return Week 1, Stefanski said he “would never doubt this young man.”

But Chubb was placed on the physically unable to perform list on Aug. 27. Hines went on the PUP list on the same date and was also activated to return to practice Wednesday. A player designated for return remains on the reserve list for the remainder of the season if not activated at the end of the 21-day window.

Stefanski said Hines “is a talented ball-carrier whether you hand it to him or throw it to him” and expects his potential role to go beyond special teams. Hines was primarily a return specialist with the Bills but missed all of last season after a jet ski accident. In 2022 with Buffalo, he worked with current Browns offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and special teams coach Bubba Ventrone.

–Field Level Media

Sep 18, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA;  Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (24) warms up before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Browns RB Nick Chubb to return to practice Wednesday

Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb will practice for the first time this season on Wednesday, head coach Kevin Stefanski announced Monday.

Chubb began the regular season on the physically unable to perform list. He had surgery last September to repair a torn left MCL and meniscus, and underwent another surgery in November to repair a torn left ACL, injuries he sustained in Week 2 of 2023.

Players who begin the regular season on the PUP list are required to sit out a minimum of four games.

Stefanski said the Browns (1-3) are opening the 21-day practice window for adding Chubb to the 53-man roster.

“He’s working very hard,” Stefanski said. “Natural progression is for him to start practicing … we’ll see how he goes from there.”

The Browns lost 20-16 to the host Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. Cleveland returns to action on Sunday at Washington (3-1).

Chubb, 28, made four consecutive Pro Bowl teams (2019-22) and rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of those seasons, including 1,525 in 2022.

Since being selected by the Browns with the 35th overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, Chubb has run for 6,511 yards and 48 touchdowns in 77 games (70 starts).

Jerome Ford is Cleveland’s leading rusher this season with 203 yards on 39 carries (5.2-yard average) and one touchdown in four games.

–Field Level Media

Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb takes in the crowd before an NFL preseason football game at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio.

Browns RB Nick Chubb likely to remain on PUP list

Browns running back Nick Chubb is expected to begin the regular season on the physically unable to perform list, ESPN reported Monday.

The move was expected and would bump Chubb’s earliest possible 2024 regular-season debut to October.

Chubb, 28, had surgery last September for a torn left MCL and meniscus, followed by surgery to repair his torn left ACL in November. He sustained the injury in Week 2 last season against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He had major surgery on the same knee in 2015 while playing at Georgia.

Jerome Ford is prepping to again fill the No. 1 RB role. Chubb did not play in the preseason and spent training camp on the PUP list as well.

Players who begin the regular season on the PUP list are required to sit out a minimum of four games.

Chubb made four consecutive Pro Bowl teams (2019-22) and rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of those seasons, including 1,525 in 2022.

Since being selected by the Browns with the 35th overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, Chubb has run for 6,511 yards and 48 touchdowns in 77 games.

–Field Level Media

Sep 18, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA;  Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (24) approaches Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith (56) during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Browns, RB Nick Chubb agree to restructured deal

Browns general manager Andrew Berry insisted he would find a way to keep running back Nick Chubb in Cleveland.

According to multiple reports, the Browns and Chubb agreed to a restructured deal to take his scheduled base salary of $15.85 million down to $11.775 million with the ability to recoup the difference in performance incentives.

Chubb, 28, is recovering from multiple knee surgeries following a season-ending left knee injury in Week 2 of the 2023 season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and recent reports indicate a plan from the franchise to be “conservative” with the decision to put the All-Pro back on the field.

Chubb was hurt in September on a tackle by Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. The direct contact with Chubb’s left knee, the same one that required reconstructive surgery at Georgia in 2015, caused an extreme hyperextension and ripped three ligaments.

Berry said in January he didn’t want to see that injury be Chubb’s final carry in Cleveland.

Chubb has 1,238 career carries for 6,511 yards and 48 touchdowns since Cleveland took Chubb in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

–Field Level Media