Jerome Ford has been here before.
Ford was a second-year running back last season when starter Nick Chubb suffered a significant season-ending knee injury in the second regular season contest, an injury that forced the former Cincinnati Bearcat into the starting lineup multiple times in 2023.
While Chubb continues to rehab his ACL and MCL repairs, Ford is again expected to be the primary back until Chubb can return to the field.
The 5-foot-10 running back has made significant progress since last year, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski.
A Twitter account known as The Coachspeak Index shared a video on the social media platform late Wednesday of Stefanski as he revealed his thoughts about Ford’s progress over the past 12 months.
“Excited for all the things that come with being a veteran player and getting more turns in,” Stefanski said about Ford.
#Browns HC Kevin Stefanski on Jerome Ford (+ why running backs never enter the league as good pass protectors):
“I thought he had some really good moments for us. A young player that I think will continue to get better. We threw him out there on third downs last season, as a… pic.twitter.com/4lmjza21Mw
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) August 22, 2024
The fifth-year head coach noted that he saw flashes of solid play last season despite Ford’s lack of knowledge and experience for the position.
Ford – who missed significant portions of the preseason training camp last season – also had that going against him in 2023.
One area where Stefanski believes Ford will be significantly better this season is on third downs, especially as a pass-protector.
“We threw him out there on third downs last season, as a third-down running back, and he wasn’t perfect, but he didn’t miss a beat,” Stefanski said.
Ford finished with 813 rushing yards on 204 carries and four rushing touchdowns while the running back also nabbed 44 receptions for 319 yards and five touchdowns last year.
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