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Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb has been placed on the PUP list to begin the season, meaning he will miss at least the first four games of the 2024 NFL campaign. Initially, there had been some optimism that Chubb could potentially make a Week 5 return, but Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com doesn’t seem to think that was ever all that realistic.

“I think the hope was always that Chubb, on Physically Unable to Perform for at least the first four weeks, would be ready midway through the season, possibly by Week 8 against the Ravens, Week 9 against the Chargers or perhaps after the bye in Week 10,” Cabot wrote.

Cabot went on to add that Chubb’s impressive showing in offseason workouts may have fooled fans into believing that he would return sooner.

“Expectations were raised at The Greenbrier when he was sprinting and cutting so well, but the Browns pumped the brakes to give Chubb all the time he needs to recover from the second major left knee reconstruction of his career,” wrote Cabot.

This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to Browns fans. After all, Chubb suffered an absolutely devastating knee injury in Week 2 of last season that appeared to put his NFL career in jeopardy.

Chubb himself elevated some hopes when he refused to rule out a Week 1 return earlier this offseason, but that was probably more wishful thinking than anything else.

A midseason return was almost certainly always the most likely scenario with Chubb, and given the severity of his injury, even that is not set in stone.

Chubb made four straight Pro Bowl appearances between 2019 and 2022, topping out at 1,525 rushing yards in 12 touchdowns in that latter campaign.