The Cleveland Browns went through a ton of turmoil during the 2023 season. The quarterback spot is what got the most attention, but it all started with star running back Nick Chubb suffering a gruesome knee injury during the team's Week 2 loss to the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers.
Chubb sustained injuries to both his MCL and ACL and underwent season-ending surgery. He is now deep into the rehab process, and Browns general manager Andrew Berry is confident that he will be able to work his way back.
"Very aggressively ... since the fall," Berry said regarding Chubb's rehab, according to The Athletic. "He actually started running on land this past week. That's not to say he's through the woods or anything."
Chubb suffered the injury in mid-September. Other running backs with serious knee injuries suffered early in the season have been able to make it back by training camp, but depending on the severity of the issue, some of taken longer. Given Chubb's importance to the team's offense, the Browns would obviously rather have him back on the field as quickly as possible -- but they also need to make sure not to bring him back before he's ready.
Berry said that he is very optimistic that Chubb will crush rehab, and that the running back is "progressing appropriately," according to The Chronicle-Telegram. "[The] next few weeks and months will be big for return."
Chubb is entering the final season of the three-year, $36.6 million contract extension he signed back in 2021, but he agreed earlier this offseason to take a pay cut that reduced his $11.775 million base salary to just $1.125 million. The Browns need all the cap maneuverability they can get given the nature of quarterback Deshaun Watson's fully guaranteed contract, and the likelihood that Chubb will not be at full strength made him an obvious candidate for a pay cut.
Entering his age-29 season, Chubb was likely to begin the decline phase of his career anyway, but given how outrageously effective he has been throughout his tenure (he's averaged at least 5.0 yards per carry in every single year of his career), there is room for him to drop off a bit and still be a very valuable part of an offense. If he can regain anything close to his prior form, he should be able to remain in the league even beyond this upcoming season.
