CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland Browns star running back Nick Chubb was placed on the physically-unable-to-perform list on Wednesday, as he continues to recover from a season-ending left knee injury and two surgeries.
The team made the expected move with Chubb, a four-time Pro Bowler, one day before opening training camp in West Virginia.
While Chubb was the biggest name on the PUP list, he wasn’t alone.
Starting offensive tackles Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills Jr. were also placed there — along with defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson due to knee injuries.
Tomlinson’s addition was a surprise.
He was on the field for practices during the team’s mandatory minicamp in June.
The severity of his injury was not immediately known.
Coach Kevin Stefanski was to address the media on Thursday.
The 30-year-old Tomlinson started 16 games last season after signing as a free agent in 2023.
Conklin suffered a season-ending injury in the 2023 opener.
Chubb’s season ended a week later with a grotesque injury on a carry near the goal line against Pittsburgh.
The 28-year-old sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament and other damage to the same knee he hurt while playing at Georgia.
It’s not known when Chubb will be ready to play, but the Browns are betting he’ll be back at some point this season.
Chubb has rushed for 6,511 yards and scored 48 touchdowns in his five-plus seasons with Cleveland.
Not surprisingly, Chubb has pushed himself to get back — and was recently seen squatting nearly 600 pounds in a viral video.
Chubb spoke to reporters for the first time since the injury in June, and expressed confidence he’ll be back as good as ever.
The team restructured Chubb’s contract in April.
He was entering his final year of a three-year, $36.6 million deal he signed in 2021.
Chubb agreed to take a salary cut, but can earn back money through incentives.
The Browns also placed cornerback Greg Newsome II (hamstring) and running back Nyheim Hines (knee) on the active/non-football injury (NFI) list.
All the injured players remain on the roster and can return to the field once they pass a physical.
Amari Cooper has
contract restructured
CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper has restructured the final year of his contract, adding $5 million of incentives to his $20 million base, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Cooper held out of mandatory minicamp to protest for more money.
But he reported on time for training camp after agreeing to the new deal, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract was still being finalized.
He’s scheduled to be a free agent after this season.
Cooper has been the Browns’ top receiver since he was acquired in a 2022 trade from the Dallas Cowboys, which were willing to part with him after four seasons and signing him to a five-year, $100 million contract.
The 30-year-old has caught 150 passes for 2,410 yards and 14 touchdowns in his two seasons in Cleveland.
His contract situation had the potential to be a major distraction for the Browns, which made the playoffs last season and have higher expectations in 2024.
But he’s in camp, as was to be on the field on Thursday — when the Browns opened practice for the second year in a row at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia.
Cooper was fined more than $100,000 for missing minicamp, and was facing daily fines of $50,000 if he held out of training camp.
The former Alabama standout — and No. 4 overall pick in 2015 — caught 72 passes for a career-high 1,250 yards last season while making his fifth Pro Bowl.
Newsome, Tomlinson
to miss most of camp
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (AP) — The Cleveland Browns will be without two starters from last year’s top-ranked defense for most of training camp.
Cornerback Greg Newsome II has already had surgery on an injured hamstring, and tackle Dalvin Tomlinson was scheduled to undergo an arthroscopic knee procedure on Friday.
Coach Kevin Stefanski provided medical updates on the two players in his opening remarks — after the Browns had their first practice at the Greenbrier Resort.
He’s hoping both will be back for the Sept. 8 opener against Dallas.
Newsome was placed on the non-football injury (NFI) list on Wednesday, while Tomlinson was a surprise addition to the physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list.
Stefanski said Newsome, who has started 39 games since being drafted by the Browns in the first round in 2021, got hurt working out last week.
“Hopefully have him back for Week 1,” Stefanski said. “But I’ll have more of an update as we get closer.”
The Browns picked up Newsome’s fifth-year option during the offseason.
Stefanski didn’t provide a timeline on Tomlinson, who had a major impact on Cleveland’s defense last season after signing as a free agent with the Browns.
The 30-year-old Tomlinson started 16 games and finished with three sacks, but his presence up front helped free end Myles Garrett, who was the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
