As Nick Chubb works his way back from multiple knee surgeries, the Browns spent of the offseason bolstering their running back room.
No one knows exactly when Nick Chubb will be back on the field for the Cleveland Browns.
After suffering a gruesome knee injury in Week 2 of last season, Chubb underwent multiple reconstructive knee surgeries and is still in the process of rehabbing ahead of the 2024 campaign. Chubb is expected back at some point next season. In the meantime, Cleveland spent the offseason bolstering the running back room behind him.
Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong are the two returning faces to the position group, while free agent additions Nyheim Hines and D'Onta Foreman have joined the fold as well. Head coach Kevin Stefanski is looking forward to utilizing the spring and summer to sort out what the official depth chart looks like, he heaped some praise on one of those aforementioned tailbacks during an appearance on Browns Daily.
"Jerome has done a nice job," the Browns head man said. "He had some really, really, really big moments for our football team [last year]," said Stefanski. "He made big plays for us when we needed it. We're excited about that."
Stefanski's comments could serve as validation for where Ford sits in the Browns running back hierarchy. The 2022 fifth-round pick served as the next man up after Chubb went down last fall, but did split touches with veteran Kareem Hunt. Still, Ford was able to turn his 200-plus carries into 813 yards and four touchdowns, adding and additional 319 yards and five more touchdowns as a pass catcher. The Browns 2023 highlight reel featured a handful of big plays from Ford.
Noting his praise for the 24-year-old, Stefanski went on to say that the group will sort itself out during spring practices and at training camp later this summer.
"Pierre also is a guy that there's more in there than what we got because he's sharing a role as well," Stefanski said. "To be able to add [Foreman] and Nyheim, these are guys who have been there and done it. For us it's about acquiring skill-sets, we'll let it all shake out however it shakes out, but we have a very, very versatile group."
Versatility is a good thing to have during Chubb's absence. It's nearly impossible to replace the four-time All-Pro with one player. While the group takes shape in the coming months, the Browns will be patient in letting Chubb work his way back to the field.
"Obviously we'll continue to let him rehab and when he's ready and the doctor tells me he's ready, he goes," Stefanski reiterated. "Until then, we like the guys we have."
