Nick Chubb has come a long way so far, but he still has a long way to go. The Cleveland Browns running back continues rehabbing a major injury he suffered against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2. And he knows if he were someone else or on another team, he could be in a very different position.
A perennial Pro Bowler, Chubb understands his injury threatened to upend his entire career. The NFL doesn’t have much sympathy for injuries, even including the Pittsburgh Steelers. They once released Pro Bowl G David DeCastro after learning he had an injury that would likely prevent him from playing in 2021.
The Browns did not release Chubb, but they did rework his contract. By and large, they turned some of his salary into incentives he can earn through playing and production. But he gets to stay put, and for that he is grateful to the Browns.
“Definitely a blessing. They could have just cut me dry and left me hanging, but they did a great job”, Chubb said yesterday, via the Browns’ website. “I want to be here in Cleveland. They know that. So we came to a great point”.
Chubb was coming off a career year when he suffered his injury last season. Through his first five seasons, he rushed for 6,341 yards on 1,210 attempts for 48 touchdowns. He opened the 2023 season with a 106-yard game and was up to 64 yards when he was injured a week later. He admits that he began to retreat to a dark place after that but credits the Browns for helping him through.
“It was special. The team did a great job of being there for me. I was down mentally there for a while”, Chubb said. “When you get hurt, it’s one thing. When you get hurt again and you already know what you’ve got to go through and the entire process, surgery, rehab, it’s a non-stop battle every day. My team did a great job being there for me. I was around the building for them, and they did a great job”.
Yet the Browns continue to avoid direct answers about Chubb’s on-field future. While he has downplayed the severity of the injury, there remain some uncertainties in his recovery. But he said that he has never doubted that he will play in the NFL again, even in his darkest moments. Every football fan should be glad when he does, because he is good for the game.
Not that fans of the Steelers want to watch their cornerback have to try to tackle Nick Chubb. And this year, they don’t play the Browns until late in the season. If he needs some time to get up to speed, he’ll have it by the time the Steelers see him.
There’s no doubt the Browns’ run game was not the same without Chubb. They tried and largely managed to put together a competent run game. But Chubb has been the heartbeat of their offense for the past half-decade.
