Over the past five seasons, no player has been more important to the Cleveland Browns’ offense than running back Nick Chubb. The former second round pick was the engine behind that unit, racking up more than 6,300 rushing yards in that stretch for a franchise that cycled through wide receivers and quarterbacks in an effort to build a contender.
It appears the team’s quest to return to the postseason may have to go on without him. Chubb was knocked to the turf hard on a second quarter first-and-goal carry and was left holding his knee as teammates came by to help him up. When it became clear he wouldn’t make it back to the sideline on his own, he had to be carted back to the locker room for further evaluation.
While there’s no indication yet of how serious the injury may be, the scene itself, which also left Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick shaken and on the turf, was deemed serious enough that ESPN’s broadcast booth opted against replaying it.
Browns RB Nick Chubb is down with a leg injury that is apparently so gruesome that ESPN declared it won't show the replay.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) September 19, 2023
A look back at the play, which I won’t post here but isn’t difficult to find, suggests a significant hyperextension that could have serious effects on a knee that already went through an ACL reconstruction in college. It’s possible Cleveland could be without its all-purpose yardage leader from 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 and 2018 for an extended period.
That’s brutal news for a team that needs to buttress its offense around Deshaun Watson. The Browns acquired him in 2022 despite more than 20 accusations of sexual misconduct and what the NFL itself described as “predatory behavior” and then handed him a fully guaranteed $230 million contract extension. In the seven games he’s played since he’s been roughly the league’s 33rd-best quarterback, throwing just eight touchdown passes against six interceptions, recording a 77.4 passer rating and contributing -0.069 expected points added (EPA) per play.
The contingency plan behind Chubb is thinner than ever as well. Jerome Ford (23 career carries) and newly acquired Pierre Strong Jr. (10) are the next men up on the depth chart. Familiar face Kareem Hunt remains unsigned as a free agent, but his 3.8 yards per carry last season in Cleveland were a career low, as were his 1.9 yards after contact and -0.08 rush yards over expected per carry.
There are other veteran options available on the open market. Leonard Fournette, JD McKissic, Kenyan Drake and Darrell Henderson are the most recognizable names out there. Cleveland could poach from the rest of the league’s practice squads and scoop a veteran like Melvin Gordon or Corey Clement. They could make a swing for an even better University of Wisconsin alum by paying handsomely for Jonathan Taylor, though the team’s draft coffers are still meager owing to the Watson trade that shipped three first round picks, and more, to the Houston Texans.
If not one of those household-ish names, a lesser known practice squadder like Xazavian Valladay or Deneric Prince could provide viable depth and a modest upside behind a potent offensive line. None of these options is perfect or even very good, but those are the shakes when your All-Pro running back and the power core of your offense goes down six quarters into the season.
Meanwhile, NFL veterans and analysts took to Twitter to express their condolences and prove that, yes, everyone loves watching Nick Chubb run the damn ball.