Last year in Week 2, when Browns star running back Nick Chubb went down with a brutal knee injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers, tearing his MCL and ACL, the entire stadium went silent. To see a player of his caliber get hurt in such a gut-wrenching way was a shock to players and fans across the league.
That September night was a somber one, but it began a journey for Chubb that he has tackled each day with the same fervor he's always given his training and his performances on the field.
Sidelined last season with the injury, the running back did a lot of watching. For a man who has given everything to the sport, not being able to contribute on the field was something that didn't come easily.
“Yeah, it was tough. It's always hard not being able to play the game with your guys who you go through camp, spring with, but I mean our team did a great job of no matter who was down next man up and continue to play," Chubb said.
He did, however, contribute in other ways. The team had dedicated their season to Chubb after his injury, vowing to keep going and find success along the way. A trip to the playoffs made that vow a success—but Chubb was also there to help them in their playoff-clinching victory over the Jets, smashing the guitar pre-game as the Dawg Pound Captain.
“It meant a lot. I told the guys I'm doing my part. We all got to do our part that Thursday night game. I did my part, and the guys did the rest," Chubb said. "The team did a great job of being there for me. I was down mentally for a while. Just when you get hurt, I mean it's one thing. But 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 nonstop battle every day, so my team did a great job just being there for me."
The shared support went even further in April of this year when Chubb and the Browns agreed to a reworked contract that will keep in orange and brown through the 2024 season.
"Definitely a blessing. They could have cut me dry and left me hanging, right? But they did a great job. I want be here, and they know that. So we came to a great point," Chubb said.
Now, after two knee surgeries and months of rehabbing, Chubb is eyeing a return to game action in 2024. Nearly every day, Chubb arrives at the training facilities in Berea around 7 a.m. He does the work given to him both by the training staff for his rehab and the work in the classroom studying film and going over the playbook.
"He is working like crazy and I get to witness it in our building. I get to see him in our meetings. He's a huge, huge part of our program. He's a huge part of what we do and I'll let Nick speak for himself, but I get to witness him work firsthand," said Head Coach Kevin Stefanski.
Speaking for himself, Chubb was as humble and straightforward as ever. Speaking in Berea for the first time since the injury, there were plenty of questions thrown his way.
Do you still think about that night in Pittsburgh? : "I moved on. It happened so fast anyways. It was a blurry two weeks. I don't think about it much. I'm just moving forward."
Did you ever think you wouldn't be able to play again?: "It never crossed my mind."
Chubb, true to himself, has made it clear he's all about football. A devastating injury wouldn't stop him from working his way back, and he's leaned on the organization as he does. From the work with trainers to accomplishing milestones in Berea, like running on land and even doing squats, Chubb is finding fuel within the Browns' building.
That includes hitting the practice fields to observe the work his teammates are doing, which he did Wednesday at OTAs.
"It's definitely motivating to come out here and see the guys practicing. I want to get out there and help, and I want to be a part of this team. It definitely motivates me to get back," Chubb said. "I haven't played football since last September, so just to be around, just to see the plays, get my mind back on football, I think it's important for me just as a football player to be around football more.”
While Chubb continues working with trainers to get back to the field, he doesn't know if he'll be able to get back to the player we've all gotten used to seeing on any given Sunday. Knowing how hard he works, it doesn't seem like a stretch.
But what Chubb does know is that he will, without question, continue the work to get back on the field—for his teammates, for the fans, and for himself.
"I'm still here every day, all day like I have been," Chubb said. "It's not my first time going through this, so I've been through it before. My whole goal is to get back out there.”
There's no timeline for Chubb's return. After suffering a similar injury when he played for Georgia, he was able to play the first week of the next season. Chubb said, "We'll see" if that could be the case this time around.
But however eager to get back, Chubb is not rushing anything. He will work to get back on the field. In the meantime, it's hard work, as usual, for the star running back.
"I'm doing everything I can at this point and I'm right where I want to be. And when that time happens, when I feel great, I'll be on the field. But until then..." Chubb said.
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