Browns RB Nick Chubb back after injuring knee, missing 4 games

BEREA, Ohio — Browns running back Nick Chubb was designated to return from injured reserve and is expected to practice after missing four games with a sprained knee.

Chubb sprained a medial collateral ligament in the first quarter of Cleveland’s Oct. 4 win at Dallas. He is slotted to work out with his teammates Monday as the Browns (5-3) return from their bye week.

As long as he doesn’t have any setbacks, Chubb could return to the lineup this week when the Browns (5-3) host the Houston Texans (2-6).

A Pro Bowler last season, Chubb rushed for 335 yards and four touchdowns in four games before injuring his knee.

When he was healthy, the Browns led the NFL in rushing. Cleveland’s offense hasn’t been the same without Chubb, a second-round pick in 2018 who gained 1,494 yards last season.

With receiver Odell Beckham Jr. out for the rest of 2020 with a torn knee ligament, the Browns need Chubb as a playmaker as they try to end the league’s longest playoff drought.

This season, NFL teams are permitted to place players on injured reserve and can activate them after missing three games.