Not only did the Cleveland Browns suffer their first defeat of the season Monday night, but they also lost the heart and soul of their offense. During the second quarter of a 26-22 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Nick Chubb was carted off the field after suffering a gruesome knee injury on a hit from Minkah Fitzpatrick.
ESPN's broadcast team initially elected not to show the replay, but one could hear the gasps from the crowd at Acrisure Stadium when it was shown on the jumbotron. The crowd then showed their support for Chubb by cheering for him as he was carted off to the locker room.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed Tuesday that Chubb suffered a significant knee injury and is done for the season. Chubb's injuries included multiple torn ligaments, according to NFL Media. With Chubb out, Stefanski said that backup Jerome Ford, who rushed for 106 yards on 16 carries against the Steelers, will now be the team's "featured back."
However, the Browns will still look to add another player at the position, per Stefanski. Current free agent and former Browns running back Kareem Hunt visited with Cleveland on Tuesday, CBS Sports HQ Senior NFL Insider Josina Anderson reported, making a reunion all the more likely. According to Cleveland.com, Cam Akers, who was reportedly placed on the trade block by the Rams, is also among the options the Browns are exploring.
A four-time Pro Bowler, Chubb had 64 yards on 10 carries prior to getting injured. He had 106 yards on the ground in the Browns' Week 1 win over the Bengals.
The loss of Chubb is significant for the Browns, who went into Monday night with legitimate playoff hopes. Now, the Browns will have to keep those hopes alive without one of the NFL's best running backs and overall players.
As for who they should possibly add to help cushion the blow of losing Chubb, here are some options.
Kareem Hunt
As mentioned above, Hunt is already visiting the Browns. He is still available on the free agent market and, given that he's played for the Browns for the previous four seasons, he has immense knowledge of the playbook and could be a plug-and-play addition to the backfield. In 17 games played last season, the 28-year-old rushed for 468 yards and three touchdowns while catching 35 passes for 210 yards and another score. If Cleveland wants to roll with Ford as its primary back, Hunt would be a nice secondary option who can take on a bigger workload if needed.
Leonard Fournette
Fournette is in a similar situation to Hunt. The veteran went unsigned this offseason and is currently looking for the right opportunity to arise, which could possibly be with the Browns post-Chubb. The 28-year-old can work both in between the tackles and as a pass catcher, which would complement Ford well. With the Buccaneers last season, Fournette totaled 1,191 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns. That included 73 receptions for 523 yards.
Cam Akers
Cam Akers' relationship with the Rams has seemingly deteriorated, with the back being a healthy inactive last week. Now, reports are that L.A. is putting him on the trading block as it rolls forward with Kyren Williams as its primary ball-carrier. With a need for some help in the backfield, the Browns naturally make sense post-Chubb. The former second round pick rushed for 786 yards (4.2 yards per carry) in 2022 with seven touchdowns. In the Week 1 opener against Seattle, he rushed for just 29 yards on 22 attempts, so he might be best looked at as a complementary piece to Ford as he ascends to replace Chubb.
Jonathan Taylor
If they want a straight-up Chubb replacement, you can't get much better than Jonathan Taylor. The Colts back is currently on injured reserve, but can still be traded. Of course, his health would be the first thing Cleveland would have to verify before swinging such a deal, but, when healthy, Taylor is among the league's best running backs. Leading up to the season, the Colts did grant Taylor's camp permission to seek a trade, but nothing came to fruition. As he gets closer to being eligible to return off IR, it will be interesting to see if those trade talks heat up. Getting a player of Taylor's caliber in the fold would main Cleveland's running game as one of the most feared in the league and would probably be a welcome development for the veteran as well.
