Browns' Nick Chubb done for season with knee injury so bad ESPN refused to show replay in loss to Steelers
Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb went down with an injury, and ESPN broadcasters Joe Buck and Troy Aikman let everyone know how bad it was.
Chubb was tackled on a run near the goal line in the first half of their 26-22 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night, and he immediately grabbed his left leg. It didn't look good, but then the broadcasters indicated that it was a lot worse than it appeared on first glance.
"I'm told the replay of Nick Chubb getting injured is not to be seen," Buck said on the ABC broadcast.
As Buck said that, the replay was shown in the stadium, and the crowd reacted with a loud groan.
"Yeah, we're not going to show it. It's as bad as you can imagine," analyst Troy Aikman said.
Joe Buck: "I am told that the replay of Nick Chubb getting injured is not to be seen."
The groan from the Pittsburgh crowd probably tells us all we need to know. Chubb was carted off.
Minkah Fitzpatrick was also hurt on the play but was later seen on Pittsburgh's bench. pic.twitter.com/QGYMKzuFBy— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 19, 2023
Chubb was hit low by Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick as he was being dragged down by another defender. That caused his knee to bend in a way it shouldn't.
Chubb was carted off the field after going down. Steelers fans, who saw the replay, chanted his name and gave him an ovation as he left for the locker room, Buck said on the broadcast.
The Brown was immediately ruled out due to what the team said was a knee injury. Jerome Ford, Chubb's backup, scored on the next play, but the celebration was understandably muted.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski then confirmed after the game what everyone feared. While specifics weren't known, Chubb's season is over due to the "significant" knee injury.
Chubb sustained a major knee injury while playing for Georgia in college when he was tackled near the sideline and landed awkwardly. That came during the 2015 season and was to the same left knee he injured Monday night. Chubb returned for the 2016 and 2017 seasons at Georgia and was a second-round draft pick of the Browns.
Chubb is one of the best running backs in the NFL and a key cog in the Browns' offense. Chubb had a career-high 1,525 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns last season, his fifth in the league. The 27-year-old had 106 rushing yards on 18 carries in the Browns' season-opening win over the Cincinnati Bengals last week, and had 64 yards on 10 carries when he went down on Monday night. Chubb is in the second year of a three-year, $36 million deal with the Browns.
Ford finished with 106 yards on 16 carries, and had three catches for 25 yards and a touchdown in the air on the night. He'll likely lead the ground game now this season with Chubb sidelined. Ford, 23, is in his second season in the league.
