The status of Nick Chubb for the upcoming Cleveland Browns season has been clarified.

An insider from the league told the Akron Beacon Journal, part of the YSL News Network, that Chubb will start the season on the active/physically unable to perform list as he continues his recovery from a severe knee injury he suffered on September 18 in Pittsburgh. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to break this news.

According to NFL regulations, Chubb must sit out the first four games of the regular season, with his earliest possible return being Week 5 when the Browns are set to face the Washington Commanders.

This decision was expected, as Chubb has been on the PUP list throughout training camp. He has been observed several times engaging in a demanding on-field rehabilitation program but has not been authorized to participate in full football activities yet.

Chubb underwent his first surgery on September 29 to fix issues in his medial collateral ligament, medial capsule, and meniscus—the same injuries he had treated while at Georgia. His second operation on November 14 repaired a torn anterior cruciate ligament, which he hadn’t injured back in 2015.

“I would say this experience aids me in knowing how to approach it mentally. I recognize that I may not be at the expected point in my rehab journey,” Chubb said on June 5. “I just have to take it one day at a time, and eventually, I will reach my goals.”

Despite the injury sustained at Georgia, Chubb did not miss any games in the 2016 or 2017 seasons. He did not establish a timeline for his return when he spoke in June, but he indicated that he would assess his condition as the September 8 season opener against the Dallas Cowboys approaches.

Chubb only began load-bearing running in April as a part of his rehabilitation. Throughout the offseason, numerous workout videos have surfaced on social media, showing him training at his former high school in Cedartown, Georgia, often with little sign of the injury, including a video on July 15 showcasing him squatting 540 pounds.

This is a developing story. Please check back for further updates.

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. For more information about the Browns, visit www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ