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Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb suffered a gruesome and devastating injury in Week 2 of 2023. The second-team All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler was off to what seemed like another great season before it all went wrong. Many have seen Chubb's injury video, and we won't post it again here.
The stud RB hasn't played a game since and has been rehabbing after surgeries to repair his torn ACL as well as damage to his meniscus, medial capsule, and MCL. Questions have been swirling about whether he will return to play this season at all. It's been a tough time for Chubb.
Luckily for fantasy managers and anyone who likes watching good football players, he returned to practice this week. So, will he play in Week 5?
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Is Nick Chubb Playing in Week 5?
It's unlikely. While returning to practice is a big step, teams who activate players from injured reserve have a 21-day window to promote the player to the active roster for them to play in a game this season. Chubb's return to practice likely means the Browns believe he can return in that 21-day window.
The #Browns make it official, designating Nick Chubb to return off Injured Reserve. They did the same for Nyheim Hines and Michael Dunn, who will all return to practice.
It should be a slow build for Chubb.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 2, 2024
The Browns will then have until the middle of Week 8 to activate Chubb to the 53-man roster. It would make sense, then, for fantasy managers to expect him to return to action by Week 8 at the latest if he's going to return at all. That said, the backup plan for Chubb hasn't been a backup plan since it's been the plan all season.
He may have a "return" and a "return return" either way. It's easy to imagine they'll ease him into his return to play with a smaller workload at first and ramp him up to their maximum desired usage after a few weeks of play.
Nick Chubb Week 5 Fantasy Football Outlook
There almost certainly won't be an outlook, but if he did play, the workload would probably be relatively minor. It may not be worth starting him.
Some Nick Chubb content pic.twitter.com/z3UO4BfJT7
— Dan Labbe (@dan_labbe) October 3, 2024
He has looked good at practice, though. Then again, he was squatting over 500 pounds back in July. The dude's a beast.
This is #Browns RB Nick Chubb squatting 540+ pounds—just 8 months after undergoing multiple significant knee surgeries.
Insanity.pic.twitter.com/JlWnad2Wdm
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 15, 2024
When he does return, the biggest things he'll have to contend with other than any remaining pain or weakness in his knee are the fact that the Browns offense is terrible (thanks Deshaun Watson) and the offensive line isn't great. Defenses will likely key in on Chubb and make life hard for him.
It's hard to say whether he'll be an RB1, RB2, or RB3 when back in full health. There are too many variables at play. But he shouldn't be dropped in any leagues. The upside potential is too high.
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