Throughout the offseason, the Cleveland Browns have been consistent in their message regarding Nick Chubb. They stated that they had no interest in rushing him back to the field.
Coming off a torn ACL and MCL suffered in Week 2 of the 2023 season, the Browns wanted Chubb to be 100 percent healthy before they would bring him back. Despite their claims they were taking this approach, fans continued to hold out hope that Chubb would be back by Week 1.
Chubb himself refused to say he wouldn’t be on the field when the Browns hosted the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1, adding fuel to the fire. However, cold water has now been thrown on that theory since the veteran running back is staying on the Physically Unable to Perform list.
Sources: The #Browns will leave All-Pro RB Nick Chubb on the reserve/PUP list to begin the season, which means he will miss at least the first four games.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 26, 2024
Chubb is coming off a devastating Week 2 knee injury, but remains ahead of schedule and set to return in 2024. pic.twitter.com/qVYVO0jvTz
Starting on that list means Chubb will miss at least the first four games of the season.
This always seemed to be the plan but it was hard not to believe Chubb had a superhuman action on the way. The former Georgia running back has made great progress and has released multiple videos showing how far he’s come.
With Chubb out, the Browns will turn to Jerome Ford and D’Onta Foreman.
Ford replaced Chubb in 2023 and had 813 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. He has the speed to break a big gain and was dangerous as a pass-catcher. He also had issues with losing yards and wasn’t great in short-yardage situations.
That’s where Foreman comes in. A free agent addition this offseason, is a power back at 235 pounds. His addition should help replace Kareem Hunt while giving them a back to turn to should Ford struggle.