Nick Chubb’s last memory of the Steelers was from when he was driven off the field in a cart, tears in his eyes. But on Thursday, he’ll face them again under much better circumstances.
Chubb will play against the Steelers for the first time since last year, when he suffered a serious knee injury that ended his season, put his career at risk, and shocked his teammates.
While other players might be looking for revenge, that’s not Chubb’s style.
“It’s just the same normal game for me pushing the same way and looking forward to going out there and playing against a great team,” Chubb said on Wednesday, brushing off any ideas of payback. “That’s just who I am.”
“It’s a football game. I got to go out there and play so no matter who we’re playing or what we’re up against. I’m always in the same mindset.”
What seemed like a regular running play in Week 2 last season in Pittsburgh turned into something much worse for Chubb.
As he took the ball and cut inside the Pittsburgh 5-yard line, Chubb was hit from the side by Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who drove his shoulder into Chubb’s knee, bending it in a horrible direction.
Chubb never called it a dirty hit, and he hasn’t heard from Fitzpatrick since. “I talked to him on the field when it happened,” Chubb said. “That’s about it.”
Chubb had surgery a few weeks later to repair a torn medial collateral ligament, meniscus, and medial capsule. Two months after that, he had a second surgery to fix his torn anterior cruciate ligament, which he had injured back in 2015 while at Georgia.
At first, it seemed unlikely when the Browns said they expected Chubb to return at some point during the 2024 season.
But after seeing his unmatched work ethic for six years, the team knew not to doubt him. When Chubb began running ahead of schedule this spring, it became clear he would soon return to the field for the Browns.
His inspiring recovery — Chubb missed the first six games — has been one of the few bright spots in a disappointing season for the Browns (2-8).
“It’s amazing to see him out here in general,” said star defensive end Myles Garrett. “To have that kind of resolve, to say ‘this is going to be another bump in the road, it’s not going to stop me, it’s not going to draw the line for me here,’ and to continue to work his (rear end) off day in and day out to get back on this field and play a game that he loves and move in the way that he does.”
“The guy is one of the most athletic people on the field every time he steps on. And to get back to even 99% of that, 95% of that takes a whole hell of a lot of work, and he did everything that he can to put himself in position to make some huge plays for us and be that cornerstone that he always has been. So a massive amount of respect.”
The respect is mutual from the Steelers. Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin refers to Chubb as “Mr. Chubb.”
“Just got so much respect for his game and his body of work and his capabilities,” Tomlin said. “From an appreciative football standpoint, man, it’s really good to see him back. But from a guy that competes against him this week, obviously, he has our attention.”
The Browns have been careful with Chubb’s return, managing his workload closely. His longest run so far is just 15 yards, but there have been moments where he’s looked like his old self.
Guard Joel Bitonio remembers Chubb’s last run last season, and he’s enjoying seeing Chubb back on the field now.
“It’s just the person he is, the work he puts in,” Bitonio said. “You talk about what it takes to be a great teammate. He has all those qualities. He’s a friend and you never want to see a guy go down, so that stuff hurt, especially the injury.
It was emotional for sure, but I’m excited that he’s back playing and hopefully keeps building him up and he keeps getting back to that Nick Chubb-style of running.”
