Chubb (knee) resumed running on land within the last week, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports. Chubb took his rehab to the next level shortly after agreeing last Thursday to a contract alteration that converted a large portion of his scheduled $11.75 million base salary into incentives. He's entering the final season of a three-year extension and still faces a long path to complete his rehab from surgeries in September and November to address ACL, MCL and meniscus injuries in his left knee. It's the same knee in which he suffered a major injury Oct. 2015 -- his sophomore season at Georgia -- and he later had an MCL sprain in the knee Oct. 2020. The Browns hope the 28-year-old is ready for Week 1, but they're also preparing for the possibility of missed time, having added RBs D'Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines (knee) to a roster that still has Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong.
Chubb (knee) agreed Thursday to restructure his contract with the Browns, lowering his $11.75 million base salary while adding additional incentives, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Chubb is coming off a severe left knee injury that involved surgeries to repair his ACL, MCL and meniscus, but the Browns have consistently stated that he wasn't considered a cut candidate, according to Cabot. Restructuring his base salary into a more manageable figure solidifies the notion that Chubb will remain in Cleveland for the final year of his deal in 2024. Depending on his performance, Chubb could reportedly make back the entire sum of his initial salary, but he'll first have to return to full health and return to the field. Should Chubb's recovery into the start of the regular season or result in him being limited in the early weeks, the Browns will have new backfield additions D'Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines (knee) available to help carry the load along with holdover Jerome Ford.
General manager Andrew Berry said Tuesday that Chubb (knee) is expected to resume load running soon, and that the next three months will determine his availability for the start of the 2024 season, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Chubb is expected to begin load running "this month" per Berry. Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports that the general manager also said Chubb has done a fantastic job in his rehab thus far, and reiterated that the running back is expected to be with the Browns for the 2024 season, despite the fact that he carries a $15.83 million cap hit entering the final year of his contract and is coming off a brutal left knee injury. Cleveland inked D'Onta Foreman in free agency, adding another depth piece to the backfield alongside Jerome Ford. Chubb's chances of being ready for Week 1 will hinge on his recovery progress this offseason, but the expectation remains that he'll operate as the Browns' starter once fully recovered from surgeries to repair the ACL, MCL and meniscus of his left knee. It wouldn't be surprising to see Ford and Foreman begin the 2024 campaign with larger workloads, and for Chubb's involvement to grow as the season progresses.