It was easy to assume the worst when Nick Chubb suffered a gruesome knee injury during his team's Week 2 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night. Seemingly the entire sports world sent swift well wishes to the Cleveland Browns star, no doubt anticipating Chubb—who'd previously torn the ACL in his left knee in college—would have another frustratingly lengthy, extremely arduous recovery ahead of him. There was even speculation the 27-year-old's playing career might be in doubt.
The latest update on Chubb's injury, though, is just as surprising as it is positive. Further evaluation revealed Chubb merely sustained a torn MCL against the Steelers, cutting his potential recovery time in half and effectively cinching his eventual return to the field.
“The knee injury suffered by the Cleveland Browns' Nick Chubb is not considering career-ending, with initial tests revealing the running back tore only his left MCL,” ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Saturday. “Sources said that while Chubb's ACL was stretched on the play, doctors do not believe that ligament is torn.”
Chubb is reportedly set to undergo surgery in coming days, with the hopeful expectation doctors won't uncover further damage upon him going under the knife. He's expected to fully recover in six to eight months, per ESPN.
There's still no chance Chubb returns to Cleveland in 2023. He was placed on injured reserve earlier this week, even an optimistic recovery timeline only getting him back to regular football activity in mid-March. But the apparent likelihood he's avoided catastrophic injury is extremely good news for the Browns regardless, and more importantly, should give Chubb the opportunity to return to the field close to 100 percent healthy in 2024.
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