During Week 2 of the 2023 NFL season, Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb suffered season-ending tears of his ACL and meniscus. After undergoing two surgeries, he started the 2024 season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, meaning he had to miss the first four games of the campaign. When will Chubb return to the Browns’ lineup? A new report on Sunday morning offered some insight.
The Latest on Nick Chubb’s Recovery
On Sunday, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Browns will open Chubb’s practice window on Wednesday, which means the All-Pro running back will resume practicing in the near future.
When a player is coming off the PUP list, the team designates a three-week window where the player can return to practice. Once he begins practicing, the team has until the end of the three-week window to place him on the 53-man roster. If the player cannot return to practice or resumes practicing but isn’t healthy enough to return to the active roster by the end of the three weeks, he must stay on the PUP list for the remainder of the season.
Rapoport notes that Chubb isn’t expected to play in Week 5 when the Browns face the Washington Commanders, but “he is set to return midseason as Chubb and the Browns had hoped.”
This lines up with what we heard from Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, who reported that Chubb would likely miss the first half of the season.
“I think the hope was always that Chubb, on Physically Unable to Perform for at least the first four weeks, would be ready midway through the season, possibly by Week 8 against the Ravens, Week 9 against the Chargers, or perhaps after the bye in Week 10,” Cabot said in September.
“Expectations were raised at The Greenbrier when he was sprinting and cutting so well, but the Browns pumped the brakes to give Chubb all the time he needs to recover from the second major left knee reconstruction of his career.”
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski recently told reporters that Chubb is “doing well.”
The fact that Chubb is returning to practice in the coming weeks is a great sign, and hopefully, this means he’ll be back in action sooner than later.
Chubb’s Fantasy Outlook
Chubb is coming off a severe knee injury involving three torn ligaments and a dislocated knee, which complicates his recovery and future performance. There’s a risk he might not regain his previous explosiveness.
When healthy, Chubb has been a consistent fantasy force, averaging 15.9-17.3 fantasy points per game from 2019-2022. Even in limited action last season, he showed elite rushing ability with 6.1 yards per carry.
From 2020 to 2022, 42 running backs carried the rock at least 300 times. Chubb had as good of a case as any of them to be considered the top rusher over that stretch (minimum 300 carries):
- First in yards per carry (5.3)
- Second in rushing yards per game (89.6)
- Third in rushing touchdowns per game (0.7)
If Chubb can return to form and give you 15-17 fantasy points per game for even eight games, he’ll be a valuable fantasy asset.
However, here’s the pessimistic scenario: At nearly 29 years old, there’s a real chance Chubb won’t return to his former self. He might end up in a timeshare or could even reaggravate his injury, making him a risky stash.
While there’s a league-winning upside, the uncertainty around his recovery and return timeline makes Chubb a risky fantasy asset.