Browns make critical decision on how RB Nick Chubb will begin the 2024 NFL season

Cleveland Browns have made the expected move with running back Nick Chubb that will hold him out the first few weeks of the NFL season.

First reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Browns will be leaving Chubb on the Physically Unable to Perform List to begin the season. With that, Chubb will be held out for the first four games of the season.

Chubb will miss games against the Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, and Las Vegas Raiders. The star running back will be eligible to return on Oct. 6 against the Washington Commanders on the road.

This move is likely what Cleveland saw all along when they played Chubb on the PUP back on July 24 to begin training camp. Cleveland prepared for that this offseason by signing D’Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines as a free agent .

Jerome Ford will be the starting running back for Cleveland just like he did last year when Chubb went down. Foreman will take over that secondary role for the time behind and Cleveland will utilize Hines in the passing game more than anything.

Chubb is a fan favorite and has rushed for at least 1,000 yards in four of six seasons in the NFL. As a rookie, he only started nine games but ran for 996 yards and last season he had 170 yards on the ground in a game and a half.

Cleveland will have to ramp up Chubb when he is back, so there is no need to expect him to hit the ground running in a major way. Chubb has recovered well from his second serious knee injury and it is a matter of time before we see him on the field again.

Cleveland’s offense is quite a bit of a lesser unit with Chubb sidelined, but playing it smart is a must in this situation for the bigger picture.

Related: Browns Roster Cuts Tracker 2024: Keeping tabs on all of the moves to get to 53 players