The Cleveland Browns welcomed back star running back Nick Chubb last week, watching the four-time Pro Bowl athlete make his first appearance in an NFL game in more than a year.
Cleveland fans watched the running back record his first touchdown of the season during his 11-carry, 22-yard performance in Week 7.
While those stats were nothing special, it was expected Chubb would see a reduced workload in his first game back from his second major knee injury.
Despite the lack of production, Browns running back coach Duce Staley believes Chubb will be back to his old self soon enough.
Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot shared Staley’s thoughts on X as the running back coach provided a three-word answer to whether Chubb can once again be a Pro Bowl player.
“Browns RB Duce Staley answered ‘yes I do’ when asked if he believes Nick Chubb can return to his four-time Pro Bowl self,” Cabot reported.
#Browns RB Duce Staley answered "yes I do" when asked if he believes Nick Chubb can return to his four-time Pro Bowl self. It's "because of how hard he works; he shuts down the building, opens the building"
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) October 25, 2024
Staley’s reason for his assessment is the amount of work that Chubb has put into his recovery and his preparation daily.
“It’s ‘because of how hard he works; he shuts down the building, opens the building,'” Cabot shared of Staley’s comments.
The Browns have struggled to move the football on the ground this season.
Cleveland has recorded only 660 rushing yards in seven games, and the team’s leading rusher – running back Jerome Ford – missed last week’s contest with a hamstring injury.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson was the team’s second-leading rusher in 2024.
With Chubb available, the Browns may return to featuring the ground game this season as their offense ranks among the worst in the league in multiple categories.
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