Browns' Nick Chubb Placed on Reserve/COVID-19 List Ahead of Week 10

Cleveland Browns star Nick Chubb's status for Week 10 is up in the air after the team placed him on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday. 

Per ESPN's Jake Trotter, Chubb is vaccinated. League rules permit asymptomatic players to return as long as they return two negative COVID-19 tests 24 hours apart. 

Chubb was setting a blistering pace to open the 2021 season. He had run for 523 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 5.8 yards per carry through Cleveland's first five games.

Then a calf injury forced him to miss Cleveland's 37-14 defeat to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6 and its 17-14 win over the Denver Broncos in Week 7.

The Browns were down to their third-string running back against Denver after having also placed Kareem Hunt on injured reserve because of a calf problem. That left D'Ernest Johnson as the primary ball-carrier.

Case Keenum also subbed in for Baker Mayfield at quarterback because of Mayfield's nagging shoulder injury.

Chubb was able to return to the lineup in Week 8. The 25-year-old had his best game of the season in Cleveland's Week 9 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He racked up 137 yards and two scores on just 14 carries in a 41-16 victory. 

The glut of injuries was emblematic of a year that has fallen short of expectations in Northeast Ohio. The Browns are 5-4 heading into Sunday's game against the New England Patriots that could have serious playoff ramifications. 

New England (5-4) currently owns the No. 7 seed in the AFC based on a tiebreaker advantage over the Kansas City Chiefs and Browns with a better record in conference games. 

Johnson is the only active running back on Cleveland's roster. He ran for 146 yards in his first career NFL start against the Broncos two weeks ago.