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Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb is working his way back from a massive knee injury that ended his 2023 campaign prematurely. His knee bent in a way no man's knee ever should, and he suffered extensive ligament damage that required multiple surgeries and a long rehab process.
While he's not out of the woods yet, there have been encouraging signs for the longtime vet. He's not suffered any reported setbacks, and it's been over a year since the incident, so no news is good news, but his return to practice is good news on top of no bad news.
When will Nick Chubb return and be back for Cleveland?
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Nick Chubb Injury Update
The seventh-year pro had his practice window opened on October 2, and has been limited in each practice session since. The Browns have still been non-committal about his return to play, but head coach Kevin Stefanski has said his participation will continue to increase in the coming days.
Another day of practice for #Browns RB Nick Chubb.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski said he expects Chubb's workload to increase this week as he ramps his way back up to an eventual return to game action. pic.twitter.com/TLXu5yTbtJ
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) October 9, 2024
Fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to return in Week 6, but given the timing of his practice window, a return in Week 7 or 8 seems most likely. He must be elevated to the active roster before October 23, which is 21 days after his window was opened, to play this season. And all signs point to him playing.
Nick Chubb Fantasy Football Outlook
He should certainly be in starting lineups when he returns, but it's fair to question how much his injury will affect him. It's also fair to speculate that the general state of the Browns offense is a major concern and could cause defenses to focus on the running game. Starting quarterback Deshaun Watson has been awful both on and off the field.
Deshaun Watson has more settled lawsuits (23) than touchdown passes (19) since being traded to the Browns
— James Dator (@James_Dator) October 8, 2024
He has been horrible for both the offense and the organization as a whole, seemingly dragging the franchise down to the depths where he belongs.
The Browns are closer to the No. 1 overall draft pick than they are the playoffs.
The Deshaun Watson trade is the worst in NFL history. It’s set the organization back years.
— Nick Pedone (@NickPedone12) October 6, 2024
If any running back can drag this offense back to relevance, it's a healthy Chubb, though. Browns fans and fantasy managers of any of their players will have to hope that Watson gets benched and gunslinger Jameis Winston, who fires deep passes like outlaws in Western flicks, gets the nod.
.@NickChubb21 was on a ROLL Sunday!
💪 20 Carries
💪 163 Rushing Yards
💪 3 Touchdowns@Browns | #Browns pic.twitter.com/BDStB3Uf1l— NFL (@NFL) October 1, 2019
If you drafted him, you may as well start him from the beginning. After a few games, when his workload is ramped to full, he should be an every-week starter. His ceiling is unlikely to be what it was in previous years, though, and it may be a long shot for him to attain fantasy RB1 status again.
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