Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb, considered one of the premier backs in the league, suffered a grisly knee injury in Monday night's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers that is expected to end his season, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
Chubb is believed to have torn multiple ligaments, Rapoport reported. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed on Monday night that he anticipated Chubb being lost for the season, though he did not speculate on which ligaments were damaged. Chubb is expected undergo an MRI exam on Tuesday.
"Obviously, Nick's got a very significant knee injury, which is, you feel for the person," Stefanski said after the game. "He's a great football player as we know, but he's an even better person. So we will support him every step along the way."
On a carry in the second quarter, Chubb was hit low by Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and his left knee went inward. Chubb quickly grabbed his leg before he was attended to by medical staff, subsequently carted off and quickly ruled out for the game. The play was gruesome enough in nature that no replay was shown on the Monday Night Football telecast.
Steelers fans at Acrisure Stadium warmly chanted "Chubb" as the running back, who was visibly emotional, was transported off the field.
Chubb previously tore the PCL, MCL and LCL in his left knee during his college career at Georgia. It's the same knee he injured on Monday.
A model of consistent excellence, Chubb is a four-time Pro Bowler who's had four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons. The 27-year-old was well on his way to another stellar campaign, having rushed for 106 yards in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals and having tallied 64 yards on 10 carries Monday.
Following Chubb's departure, running back Jerome Ford came in and caught a 3-yard touchdown pass. In addition to the touchdown catch, Ford had 16 carries for 106 yards, the majority coming on a 69-yard run. Cleveland will need more big contributions from Ford and others to come close to filling the vacancy left by Chubb, who's never missed more than four games in an NFL season.
A quiet destroyer on the field, Chubb has been Cleveland's engine since his rookie campaign in 2018. Though he's soft-spoken, Chubb's revered in the Browns locker room and really throughout the league, as was evidenced by the social media reaction to his injury. Moving on without Chubb will be a monumental obstacle for the Browns to overcome, as it's safe to say Cleveland will need to rebound from two losses on Monday night.
