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When will Nick Chubb return? Latest injury updates on Browns RB

jacob camenker, usa today
·5 min read

The Cleveland Browns' offense has been disjointed to start the 2024 NFL season, but the team could soon get a big helping hand in their efforts to improve.

Nick Chubb will be eligible to return from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list after Week 4. The 28-year-old veteran has been out since suffering a catastrophic knee injury in Cleveland's second game of the 2023 season, but he is slowly inching his way back toward the NFL field.

Chubb isn't guaranteed to be a savior for the Browns. Some believed the injury he suffered, the second major one of his career, to his left knee, would be career-ending. As such, Chubb returning at all would be impressive, even if he doesn't look quite the same as the dominant force who has led Cleveland's backfield over the last six seasons.

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Considering the current state of the Browns offense, which has been plagued by Deshaun Watson's struggles, offensive line injuries, and an ineffective running game, it's hard to argue that Chubb's return would be bad for Cleveland.

When will Chubb return to the field? Here's what to know about his status as his return from injury draws close.

When will Nick Chubb return?

Chubb was placed on the NFL's PUP list to start the 2024 NFL season. That guaranteed he would be out for the first four weeks of the season, but it makes him eligible to return as early as the team's Week 5 matchup against the Washington Commanders.

The Browns did not initially provide a clear-cut timetable for Chubb's return. When asked if Chubb could return after Week 4, Kevin Stefanski didn't provide much insight into Cleveland's plans.

"We’ll see when we get to next week," Stefanski told reporters at a Wednesday news conference. "He’s doing well."

But ahead of Week 5, Stefanski announced the Browns would be opening Chubb's practice window. Once Cleveland officially makes that roster move, the Browns will have 21 days to return him to the team's 53-man roster. The team is granted a roster exemption for those three weeks as the player returns to game shape, but once that period ends, the Browns will have to either activate Chubb or his season will be over.

The Browns opening Chubb's practice window puts him on track to return to the Browns' 53-man roster by Week 8 at the latest. That doesn't mean Chubb will definitely be active for Week 8. Cleveland could still return him to the 53-man roster and render him inactive, but Browns fans and Chubb's fantasy football owners at least have a clearer-cut timeline for his return.

And it's possible that the Browns could activate Chubb to the active roster as early as Week 5, so Cleveland's offense could soon get a big boost to its running game.

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When was Nick Chubb's injury?

Chubb suffered his injury in Week 2 of the 2023 NFL season. The Browns were playing the Pittsburgh Steelers in a "Monday Night Football" matchup on Sept. 18 when Minkah Fitzpatrick went low to tackle him.

Chubb's knee bent backward awkwardly, and he had to be carted off because of the problem. He was diagnosed with a torn MCL and suffered damage to his ACL, meniscus, and medial capsule, per the Browns' official website. It took two surgeries to repair the injury.

Regardless of when Chubb returns to the field, he will have been sidelined for at least a full year. The Browns hope it won't be longer than that, given their struggles on the ground to this point in the 2024 NFL season.

Nick Chubb injury update

The Browns didn't provided much of an update about Chubb beyond Stefanski saying the veteran running back was "doing well" ahead of Week 4.

That said, Chubb was on the field ahead of Cleveland's Week 3 loss to the New York Giants. That excited some fans that a return could be just around the corner.

And indeed, with Chubb's practice window opening, it looks like he will return to Cleveland's roster at some point in October if all goes well.

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Browns RB depth chart

The Browns have four running backs on their 53-man roster with Chubb on the PUP list. They are as follows:

Ford has handled the lion's share of the backfield work thus far, with Foreman mixing in as the No. 2 back. Strong was originally expected to be the top complement to Ford because of his speed and pass-catching abilities, but he suffered a hamstring injury in Week 2 and missed Week 3 as a result.

Brightwell hasn't yet logged an offensive touch this season, so Ford figures to dominate the backfield workload as long as Chubb remains out. However, Cleveland has struggled to run over the first few weeks of the season, so perhaps Stefanski will try something a little different if he thinks the ground game needs a spark.

Once Chubb comes back, he could significantly eat into the workload of the Browns' lead back, even if Chubb isn't handling a full workload himself.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When will Nick Chubb return? Latest updates for Browns RB