The Cleveland Browns have been one of the most banged-up teams in the NFL for quite some time, recently having a dozen players on the Injured Reserve (IR) list.
Some of those players – like running back Nick Chubb – will be making their way back from the IR shortly, meaning that roster spots that were occupied by replacement players may soon be vacated.
One of those potential moves occurred on Tuesday.
The Browns announced on X that the team had waived veteran running back Gary Brightwell on Tuesday afternoon.
We've waived RB Gary Brightwell
📰 » https://t.co/OVot1hITwB pic.twitter.com/Z1IFa9fmZt
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) October 1, 2024
Brightwell played in two games for Cleveland this season, playing primarily on the special teams unit.
The 6-foot-1 running back returned two kickoffs for Cleveland for 36 yards in his two games with the squad.
Brightwell had played the previous three seasons for the New York Giants, logging the majority of his time with the NFC East squad on special teams.
In four seasons, Brightwell has played 610 snaps on special teams while only 140 snaps on offense – all of which occurred while he was a member of the Giants.
Removing Brightwell from the roster leaves running backs Jerome Ford, D’Onta Foreman, and Pierre Strong Jr. as the only active athletes in the running back room.
On Wednesday, Chubb is slated to return to practice, opening up his three-week window to return to action this season.
Chubb was injured last year during the Week 2 contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers, injuring his ACL and MCL which required multiple surgeries in 2023.
The Browns return to action this Sunday in a road contest against the Washington Commanders.
NEXT: Rodney McLeod Reveals What Nick Chubb's Return Will Mean To Browns
