Nick Chubb feels like the type of running back who will never be fully appreciated for how good he was. Trapped in the doldrums of Cleveland, Chubb has been one of the few bright spots over the better part of the past decade.
Early in the 2023 season, though, many feared Chubb’s career had just ended.
Nick Chubb’s Devastating Knee Injury in 2023
In Week 2 of the 2023 season, Chubb suffered one of the worst knee injuries you will ever see.
#DawgPound Nick Chubb feared to have suffered a multi-ligament/dislocation injury to his left knee.
>>> https://t.co/ZlPjwEVcXp pic.twitter.com/J6pBlY4XB1
— Sports Injury Central (@SICscore) September 19, 2023
The worst part is this was the same knee Chubb hurt at Georgia in 2015 in an equally hard-to-watch clip. It’s one thing to recover from one serious knee injury in your early 20s. It’s another to do it at 28 years old, well into your NFL career.
It was obvious right away that Chubb was done for the season. It was equally certain that he would not be ready for the start of the 2024 season, if he was even able to return at all.
Chubb is not one to let injury get him down. He conquered this injury once before and was intent on doing it again. He underwent two surgeries and a year of hard rehab to make it back on the field for Week 7 this season.
We Are Still Waiting for the Old Nick Chubb To Return
No one was expecting Chubb to step onto the field in Week 7 and immediately look like the guy who had a career yards-per-carry average over 5.0 — the guy who many, myself included, believe to be the best pure runner since prime Adrian Peterson.
So far, the best part of Chubb’s return is that he’s looked healthy. On the field, he’s been pretty pedestrian.
Chubb is averaging 3.1 yards per carry, a career low by far. However, he’s also not seeing same volume he did before his injury.
Chubb’s snap share has been below 40% in three of his first four games back. The Browns also faced negative game script in three of them. Unsurprisingly, the one game they won, Chubb played 59% of the snaps and carried the ball a season-high 16 times.
With his 29th birthday looming next month, there’s definitely a possibility Chubb never regains his form. It’s certainly likely he doesn’t recapture his 5.0 YPC-ability this year.
However, given Chubb’s track record and pedigree, I wouldn’t necessarily bet against him. We often see players returning from major knee injuries not look like their pre-injury selves until two years after sustaining the injury.
Even in his age-29 season, Chubb could still have a great year in 2025. But first, he will have a few more chances to shake off the rust as the Browns play out the remainder of a lost 2024 campaign.