Nick Chubb is expected to play sometime in 2024 but will be unavailable to start the season. The Browns will keep him on the PUP list in September, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported. 
This move comes as no surprise, but it guarantees that the Pro Bowl running back will miss at least the first four games of the season. Chubb has made progress in rehabbing a serious knee injury that ended his 2023 season and required two surgeries to repair. As expected, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports recently confirmed that Cleveland will opt for a slow ramp-up period once Chubb is available to practice again.
The Browns put an end to speculation about the 28-year-old’s future by restructuring his contract in the offseason. As Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes, this revised deal includes a roster bonus that normally requires a player to stay healthy for all 17 games. In this case, however, only 12 games are needed for Chubb to receive that $225,000 payment. The Georgia University graduate took a pay cut due to the restructuring, but there are incentives in place that allow him to earn back at least some of the money he was originally awarded.
Cleveland will move forward with Jerome Ford at the top of the running back depth chart for now after taking over the RB1 duties following Chubb’s injury. Nyheim Hines was signed as a free agent as a pass catcher and returner, while Pierre Strong, Jr. And D’Onta Foreman are also in reserve duty. It remains to be seen if both Strong and Foreman will survive the roster cuts, but the fact that Chubb is being elevated to reserve/PUP status certainly increases their chances.
As a slated free agent, Chubb has a lot at stake in 2024. His ability to return to his previous form (an average of 5.3 yards per carry, including at least 5.0 in each of his six seasons) will be a major storyline to watch for him personally and the Browns as a whole. Cleveland’s offense now has Jerry Jeudy in the receiving corps and a full season as quarterback Deshaun Watson could offer potential in the passing game. The team’s offense will still welcome Chubb back, but he won’t be on the field until Week 5 at the earliest.
