Almost from the time Nick Chubb was drafted by the Cleveland Browns, he has felt a strong connection with the city and its fans. This bond has never been stronger.
As he prepares to return to play in an NFL game after his second major knee injury, the usually quiet Chubb shared his feelings on Wednesday in a heartfelt essay.
He worked with The Players’ Tribune to write a letter that told his story and thanked fans for their support during his recovery.
“Just trying to give back a little bit,” Chubb explained Wednesday before practice. “I am kind of a closed-off guy, so I thought it’d be good. I thought people would appreciate me opening up a little bit, especially at a time like this.”
Chubb has won the hearts of the area’s passionate sports fans like few other athletes. He is loved in a way that goes beyond the typical fan-player relationship, which is why he felt inspired to write “Cleveland Got May Back.”
He wanted to share his emotional journey back after his left knee, the same one he injured in 2015 while playing at Georgia, was severely damaged in Week 2 last year in Pittsburgh. While trying to run inside the 5-yard line, he was hit by Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
His season was over, and he feared his career might be too.
Chubb pushed through his own doubts and what others predicted. With the support of family, friends, and even strangers who recognize him by his No. 24 jersey and orange helmet, Chubb is ready to play again. He’s thankful for the opportunity.
“It means a lot because people only see me on Sundays and they don’t know what it’s been like this past year,” said Chubb, who is likely to start this week against Cincinnati. “It’s been a lot of downs, a lot of hard work, a lot of stress.”
In more detail than he had shared before, Chubb wrote in the essay that after he was taken off the field, he went on social media and saw a comment from LeBron James on X, which was formerly known as Twitter.
“Those messages meant the world to me,” the four-time Pro Bowler said. “Just LeBron and everybody showing me love in a really dark time. But I can’t lie to you. At that moment, I was thinking that I had probably played my last NFL down.”
Chubb needed two surgeries to fix two torn ligaments, along with damage to the medial capsule and meniscus in his left knee. Given Chubb’s dedication and work ethic, the Browns were hopeful he would return at some point in 2024.
He didn’t let them down. He never has.
“Nick’s a pretty special football player,” said coach Kevin Stefanski. “He’s a pretty special person. I think he embodies a lot of what we want to be as Cleveland Browns, and certainly, I think our fans feel that from him.
“For me, from my chair, I get to watch him work and I get to see the fruits of his labor. I get to peek out of my office window early in the morning, and he’s the only one out there running. I’ve gotten to witness this journey back to last year and how hard he’s worked.”
Even though he was in the last year of his contract, the team changed his deal, telling his agent that they never thought about cutting Chubb and wanted to bring him back because of what he means to the city.
“That really meant the world to me,” he wrote. Chubb said that once he started running in April, any doubts about playing again were gone. He has been going full speed since then.
“It was just a monumental moment for me to actually run again,” he said. “I knew at that moment that I would come back to be who I was.”
His teammates have supported him throughout his recovery. As Chubb started his media session in the middle of Cleveland’s locker room, several Browns players playfully cheered for him.
In what has been a tough season so far, Chubb brings some excitement. “He’ll be that spark for us,” linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah said. “We can’t wait to see that.”
Chubb hasn’t let himself think too much about how he will feel when he steps onto the field. Just being out there will mean as much to him as scoring a touchdown or rushing for 100 yards.
Cleveland fans have been waiting to chant his name again — “Chubb, Chubb, Chubb.” It’s time.
Chubb laughed when he was reminded that he went unrecognized at Cleveland’s airport after being drafted in 2018. While waiting near the baggage carousel, someone asked him what he was doing in town.
“I miss those days,” he said. “That’s still the person I am. People in Cleveland just came to appreciate me for who I am and that’s what I love. I’m still that guy. I just want to work and I want to win.”
