Georgia Football: Will Nick Chubb be back to his best?

Are backs ever the same after a knee injury?

As hard as he works, however, coming back from the kind of knee injury Chubb had is no sure thing. A lot of players are never able to fully recover from this sort of injury. Few can forget Marcus Lattimore, who once looked like the second coming of Adrian Peterson. Before his first knee injury, Lattimore looked like a generational talent, but he was never able to fully recover and become the player he once was.

He is hardly the only RB that this has happened too. Players like Peterson and Todd Gurley are more of the exception than they are the rule. Physical freaks who have been able to not only recover from a torn knee ligament but have come back better than before. Chubb might be the hardest worker in Athens, but there is no guarantee that he will ever quite be the same.

That being said, there is no doubt that the signs are good for Chubb. While he wasn’t the same player last year, the fact that he was able to play the way he did was a good sign. These recoveries can take time. The fact that Chubb has been working so hard on both the strength and flexibility of his knee is a good sign. As is the fact that he has been practicing his cuts and has had no setbacks.

The latter might be the best sign for me. Since the beginning of last season, Chubb has not had any major setbacks. Yes, he didn’t look quite the same last year, but he didn’t play hurt. He didn’t sit out practice because his knee was sore. He just wasn’t back to who he was. I have to believe that is a good sign in regards to his recovery.