NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center:When will Nick Chubb return? Latest injury updates on Browns RB

Nick Chubb is NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Centertrending in the right direction, with the Cleveland Browns running back potentially close to a return after a devastating knee injury suffered early in the 2023 NFL season.

Chubb, a centerpiece for the Browns offense, has been out for over a year thanks to a grisly injury that required two surgeries. The running back has returned to practice in recent days, however, and Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski hasn't completely ruled out a return before Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

"Anything is possible," Stefanski said in remarks published by Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot. "With Nick I don't want to get too far beyond today."

Here's what to know about Chubb's status:

When will Nick Chubb return?

The Browns have been non-committal about a return date for Chubb. The running back started the season on the PUP list, and on October 2 the Browns opened his 21-day practice window (a mechanism that allows NFL teams to let inactive players practice before adding them to the active roster).

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Chubb was officially limited in the build-up to Cleveland's 34-13 loss to the Washington Commanders, and as of Wednesday remained a limited participant as the Browns practiced with media present. Camryn Justice of WEWS reported that Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski plans to remove some of those limitations as this week goes on, but the Browns have not yet declared when Chubb will return to NFL action.

On Tuesday, Cleveland waived three players, and cut three more from the team's practice squad. Per NFL rules, the Browns have until October 23 to either activate Chubb or keep him on the PUP list for the remainder of the season, which requires having an open roster spot for him to occupy.

Between now and the deadline on a Chubb decision, Cleveland faces a Week 6 road game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, before a huge AFC North home game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

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When was Nick Chubb's injury?

Chubb's injury came all the way back in Week 2 of the 2023 season, meaning he has been sidelined for over a full calendar year.

The incident came barely five quarters into last season, with Chubb suffering a gruesome knee injury in a road game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Chubb was carted off, and was eventually diagnosed with tears of both his anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament, as well as a torn meniscus and a medial capsule requiring repair. The injury required two separate surgeries.

Browns RB depth chart

As of Wednesday, the Browns listed three players as running backs on their depth chart:

• Jerome Ford
• D'Onta Foreman
• Pierre Strong Jr.

Nyheim Hines is also on Cleveland's roster, though the offseason addition remains on the non-football injury list after suffering a knee injury last year in a jet-skiing accident.

Without Chubb last year, the Browns leaded on Ford and Kareem Hunt (who signed with the Kansas City Chiefs during the offseason) to handle the bulk of the rushing load. That duo would end up totaling 339 carries for 1,224 yards and 13 touchdowns, with Ford putting up most of the yards and Hunt scoring nine touchdowns.

Thus far in 2024, it's been mostly Ford, who has 48 of the team's 111 rushing attempts. Foreman has also been a factor, while quarterback Deshaun Watson has also run the ball 25 times. The Browns have struggled thus far on the ground, with the team's 483 rushing yards ranking 29th out of 32 teams heading into Week 6.