Nick Chubb is back.
The four-time Pro Bowl running back is expected to play for the Browns against the Bengals on Sunday for the first time since suffering a severe knee injury in September 2023, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Chubb, who tore his MCL and damaged his ACL during “Monday Night Football” against the Steelers in Week 2 last season, has missed each of the Browns’ last 21 regular season games.
Stefanski said there’s a “plan in place” for Chubb’s workload in his first game back while Browns offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said the team wants “to make sure that he’s available for the long term,” per ESPN.
Chubb is just excited to get back on the field and make his 2024 debut.
“I’m ready to get out there with my team, ready to do whatever I can,” Chubb said. “I feel good.”
Before the injury, Chubb had been one of the top ball carriers in football.
From 2019-23, Chubb had the 2nd-most rushing yards (5,345), 3rd-most rushing touchdowns (40) and the most rushing yards per attempt (5.3) among all NFL running backs.
In 2022, the year before going down with the knee injury, Chubb had a career-best 1,525 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns en route to his fourth career Pro Bowl.
This season, the 1-5 Browns have struggled offensively in Chubb’s absence.
Cleveland has mustered just 240.2 yards per game thus far, the fewest in the NFL.
They’re getting just 97.2 yards on the ground per game, which is the fifth fewest.
Jerome Ford, who has filled in as the Browns’ RB1 this season with Chubb out, will miss Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury.
Chubb will likely share the backfield with D’Onta Foreman and Pierre Strong Jr.
