BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – As Nick Chubb waited for reporters to gather around Wednesday morning inside the locker room, his teammates started hooting, hollering and cheering.
Everyone is glad Chubb returns Sunday against the Bengals.
Chubb, known for being a man of few words, wrote a lengthy essay in the Players’ Tribune about his comeback from a devastating knee injury that required two surgeries to repair.
“I have a friend that works with Players’ Tribune and she reached out,” Chubb said. “She said it'd be a cool, cool story and I've been wanting to do it because they do a great job with the stories they create and I thought it'd be a good time now….It came out really good.”
Read Chubb’s moving essay here.
Here’s a few more Brownie Bites from Wednesday.
Batman forever – Chubb is beloved by fans and the organization and his return to the field potentially could breathe some life into the 1-5 Browns. “Super, super nice to be able to have his presence, his energy, his work ethic, and just to have Chubb in the backfield,” Quarterback Deshaun Watson said. “He definitely means a lot, not just for this offense, but for this community and this organization. So definitely that excitement and hopefully that spark that we need to take it to another level.” Chubb was a full participant in practice, a first this season since being designated to return from IR two weeks ago. The four-time Pro Bowler is excited to take the field at home Sunday. “I think it's the people here in Cleveland that make it what it is,” Chubb said. “People here, they want to win and they love sports here. This is a sports town. I mean you can't be mad at people for being upset when things aren't going good. So I think the people here, the love they have for us and everyone in the city is what makes it special.” It’s unclear how much of a work load Chubb will be able to handle Sunday, but his carrying the football again is a win. “Nick’s a pretty special football player. He’s a pretty special person,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “I think he embodies a lot of what we want to be as Cleveland Browns, and certainly I think our fans feel that from him. And for me, from my chair, I get to watch him work and I get to see the fruits of his labor, if you will. And just I get to peek out of my office window early in the morning, and he’s the only one out there running. So, I’ve gotten to witness this journey, if you will, back to last year and how hard he’s worked. So, I think that just resonates with our fan base.”
Movin’ on – Amari Cooper is now a Buffalo Bill following Tuesday’s trade. “I think disappointed when you lose any player for injury or otherwise, trade, whatever it is, so, I wish Amari luck,” Stefanski said. “Obviously talked to him yesterday. We’re excited, it opens up opportunities for other guys. But yeah, you obviously become close to your players, and you don’t like to lose anybody for any reason. But we understand the business part of that, and we’re excited what the opportunities will be for some other guys.” Trading one of the best players on the team in mid-October could send a negative message to the locker room, but it’s a business. “It’s definitely tough to see a brother and see a teammate that means a lot, not just for myself, but for the locker room, get traded away,” Watson said. “But you got to trust the organization and what AB [Andrew Berry] and Kevin [Stefanski] and those guys upstairs have planned, and that’s out of my control. But at the same time, we’re definitely going to miss him, and we appreciate everything he brought for this team and this organization.” Cooper’s departure leaves a void in the room that Stefanski expects to be filled by those left behind. James Thrash, Cedric Tillman and James Proche could see more playing time too. “As you know, Amari’s volume of targets was a lot,” Stefanski said. “Well, those have to go to other people. So other people in the wide receiver room, the tight end room, the running back room, what have you. But we do have a lot of confidence in our guys.”
40-yard dash – Not only have the Browns failed to score 20 points in a game or have their quarterback throw for 200 yards, but they have also yet to have a play go for 40 yards, an incredible anomaly considering they are six games into the season. “Those plays, when you’re playing sound and you’re playing with great effort, they come,” Stefanski said. “I don’t think you can go seeking out 40 plus plays every play, but there’s certainly opportunities when we have a look that we’re looking for, we have to capitalize.”
The way back – Safety Juan Thornhill was designated to return to practice Wednesday, opening the 21-day window for him to be activated from injured reserve. Thornhill appeared in the season opener and recorded nine tackles. He was placed on injured reserve with a calf injury on September 11.
Cleveland lakefront grant – The City of Cleveland received a $59.7 million federal grant to transform State Route 2 downtown into a pedestrian friendly boulevard. The announcement was made Wednesday morning. Earlier this year the State of Ohio awarded Cleveland $20 million for the land bridge, which would connect Mall C downtown to the lakefront. The entire lakefront connector infrastructure project is estimated to cost $450 million and will move forward regardless of the Browns decision to renovate the existing stadium or build a dome and development in Brook Park.
Quote of the day – Stefanski’s reaction to Chubb’s Players’ Tribune essay: “He’s a better journalist than all you guys combined. And a better football player.”
Injury report – DNP: RB Jerome Ford (hamstring) S Ronnie Hickman (ankle) C Ethan Pocic (knee); LIMITED: S Grant Delpit (concussion), RB D’Onta Foreman (groin), DE Myles Garrett (Achilles), LB Jordan Hicks (elbow/triceps), S Juan Thornhill (calf), CB Denzel Ward (hamstring), LT Jedrick Wills Jr. (shoulder/knee); FULL: RB Nick Chubb (knee), CB Martin Emerson Jr. (rib), Nyheim Hines (knee), WR Jerry Jeudy (knee), TE David Njoku (ankle)
