Nick Chubb is one of the easiest players in the NFL to root for.
The Cleveland Browns running back overcame a brutal knee injury in college to be one of the NFL’s best running backs, and then he suffered another gruesome knee injury early last season. After a second knee injury like that, there was no guarantee he’d be back.
Chubb returned on Sunday. And he scored in Cleveland’s 21-14 defeat against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Chubb made his 2024 debut and in the second quarter he scored a 1-yard touchdown. It came at the end of a drive in which quarterback Deshaun Watson was carted off with what looked like a serious Achilles injury, which was another reminder of how fleeting life can be in the NFL.
The touchdown was a bonus. Just seeing Chubb back on the field was an inspiring story, no matter how he played on Sunday. Chubb finished with 22 yards on 11 carries.
Chubb had not scored a rushing touchdown since Nov. 27, 2022 (he had a receiving touchdown in that season’s final game). Given what Chubb went through since that last touchdown, the score in his return had to be a special one in his career.