NFL Rumors: Nick Chubb injury may be way less severe than expected

Anyone who watched the replay of Nick Chubb's injury on Monday Night Football understood what a serious issue the running back had.

If you managed to avoid that disturbing image, suffice it to say Chubb's leg was pointing in the wrong direction at one stage.

So it seemed reasonable to assume Chubb had suffered a catastrophic injury, likely including damage to his ACL and other ligaments in his knee.

In the words of Lee Corso...Not so fast my friends!

NFL Rumors: Nick Chubb injury is a torn MCL, not ACL

On Saturday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Chubb's injury was only a torn MCL. He will still be out for six to eight months, but he did not suffer significant damage to his ACL. That critical tendon was just "stretched." At least that's what they can tell so far.

Chubb will undergo surgery in the coming week. The only fear is finding additional damage during that procedure.

Interestingly enough, this is almost exactly what happened to him when he suffered a season-ending knee injury at Georgia in 2015. He also tore his MCL while avoiding damage to the ACL.

Some players have ACLs seemingly made of dried pasta. Chubb's appears to be something closer to a rubber band. And that's going to give him a much greater chance to continue his career without skipping a beat once he gets back.

The Browns could not have gotten better news on what looked like a potentially career-ending injury.

Chubb has been one of the best running backs in the league since he arrived in 2018. He rushed for 1,000+ yards in four of his first five seasons, missing out on a fifth by just four yards as a rookie.

At 27 yards old, Chubb still has a long injury recovery road ahead of him. He won't play again this year. When he returns in 2024, he will be 28 going on 29. But who's betting against him?