Browns RB Chubb breaks foot in loss to Chiefs

CLEVELAND — Browns running back Nick Chubb broke his foot Sunday in the third quarter of Cleveland’s 21-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, coach Kevin Stefanski said.

The injury ends Chubb’s season with three games remaining.

Stefanski said he believed Chubb’s foot was stepped on. Chubb’s last snap came with 10:59 remaining in the third quarter, one play after an 8-yard run.

Chubb missed the first six games of the season while rehabbing the severe left knee injury that he sustained in Week 2 of the 2023 season. In eight games, Chubb rushed for 332 yards and scored four touchdowns (three rushing). In his return from the injury, he averaged career-low marks in yards per carry (3.3), yards before contact per rush (1.25) and yards after contact per rush (1.72).

A four-time Pro Bowler, Chubb is slated to become an unrestricted free agent after the season. He said earlier in the week that he would like to finish his career with the Browns, who selected him with the 35th pick in the 2018 draft.

“I can’t tell you how much I respect him as a person, what he means to this football team,” Stefanski said. “So, really, really disappointed about this injury. Does not change the fact that he continues to inspire this football team with how he approaches every single day. And I know this is another obstacle that he will overcome.”

Stefanski was also noncommittal on the Browns’ starting quarterback going forward after benching Jameis Winston, who contributed to three of Cleveland’s six turnovers Sunday. Second-year player Dorian Thompson-Robinson replaced Winston with 7:57 remaining in the game after Winston’s third interception. It was Winston’s NFL-leading 12th interception since taking over as the starter for the injured Deshaun Watson in Week 8 and Winston’s third three-interception game this season.

“With any decision, I’ll work through those type of things,” Stefanski said. “This is not about one person. I want to make that very clear. Jameis does a great job preparing for these games. He’s fighting his tail off and I appreciate that from him, but we’ll make that decision later.”

Thompson-Robinson, a 2023 fifth-round pick who started three games as a rookie, completed 4 of 9 passes for 18 yards and was intercepted on Cleveland’s final drive. He also ran three times for 16 yards.

The Browns are 2-5 in games started by Winston, who has completed 61.1% of his passes for 2,121 yards and 13 touchdowns.

“It’s required for the quarterback to protect the football to give your team a chance to win, and the leadership decided that my time was up,” Winston said.

“I like to toss the ball around,” Winston later said. “I have to be more precise with my passes, and I have to just give us a better chance.”