CLEVELAND — You'd be hard-pressed to find a player more universally loved than former Browns running back Nick Chubb.
His teammates always praised him, his coaches craved a roster full of guys like him, and the fan base was enamored of the hard-working, taciturn star.
But a brutal knee injury in 2023 began a path that saw Chubb battle through rehab and recovery, eventually landing on another team.
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Chubb spent the 2025 season with the Houston Texans after the Browns didn't re-sign him at the end of his contract. But on Thursday, the beloved back returned to Cleveland to share the story of his recovery from the knee injury during University Hospitals SportsLand event.
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Speaking on a panel with Dr. James Voos, the Browns' head team physician and the man who performed Chubb's knee surgery, Chubb recalled the Monday Night Football game in 2023, where he sustained the injury.
"I remember that season was going to be special, because even without me that team still went to the playoffs, so I think that year would have been our year," Chubb said. "I remember being so locked in like I am before every game...I remember just breaking runs and the first quarter I had a couple good runs, we were playing good, then the quarter changed...I remember I broke a tackle and it's a blur from there. I broke a tackle and someone was still on top of me or something...I feel my body lean forward but my leg was still back, and I feel a crunch. And unfortunately, I had been there before."
Chubb knew that it was serious immediately.
He had also sustained a similar knee injury in college while playing at Georgia. Having gone through rehab and recovery before, he knew it wasn't the physical part that would be a challenge; it would be the emotional toll the injury would take.
But speaking about that aspect of the rehab, Chubb credited the fans for helping him through a difficult time.
"The worst part about getting hurt is not the surgery, it's the rehab," Chubb said. "The mental aspect of it, just the support of the City of Cleveland. I have closets full of notes and letters from schools, from people, from fans all across the world. I still have it all packed and just tremendous support and love from everyone. And obviously the medical staff, obviously the Browns, my teammates, my family, all just support from everywhere—that gives you an edge to want to go and not only get back for yourself but for everyone who's supporting you."
That love has never left. Before leaving the panel, Chubb signed a picture drawn by a child of one of the event's guests. He shook hands and heard plenty of "I miss yous" and "we love yous."
Being back in Cleveland was a special experience for Chubb, as he told News 5.
"Cleveland means a lot to me, a special place. I was drafted here, played seven years here and had a great time while I was here, so what better place to come back to see familiar faces and share my story," Chubb said.
Chubb is a free agent. He's taking his time before deciding on a team, but still feels he has a lot to give, not just on the field but in a leadership presence in a locker room.
Could that team be Cleveland? Chubb was asked that question during his panel, to which he responded, "You never know what can happen."
But wherever the journey takes Chubb, he knows that when it's time to hang up the cleats, he'll be retiring as a Cleveland Brown.
