When RB Nick Chubb put his pads, jersey and helmet on for the first time on Wednesday and walked out to the practice fields at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus, it was a surreal moment.

It was the first time since Chubb sustained a season-ending knee injury in Week 2 of the 2023 season – one that required two separate surgeries to repair his medial capsule, meniscus, and medial collateral ligament, as well as his anterior cruciate ligament. While he's been around the team, in the meeting rooms and on the sidelines, Wednesday had a different feel for Chubb.

"It didn't feel real. It felt like a dream. I've been battling this for a while now, so it was great to get all that off my shoulders and finally get back out there," Chubb said. "It felt good to be out there with the guys. It's been almost a complete year me not being out there, so it felt great to get out there."

After being designated for return to practice on Wednesday – officially opening up the 21-day practice window – Chubb was a limited participant in practice on his first day. He was again a limited participant on Thursday as he works his way back. Yet, as he participated in individual drills and other portions of practice, the excitement around his return resonated with both players and the coaching staff.

"It was fun to see him back there," offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said. "It's definitely a different feel when he starts mixing in and getting in there. Obviously, we're excited that he's back and getting in the mix and everything. We're going to take that day by day and make sure we're doing everything we can to put him in a good position to make sure that he's ready to go when that time comes."

Chubb said he's been working on his own leading up to this moment, which allowed him to feel confident when he took to the practice field with his teammates and stepped into the drills.

While he's been in the meeting room with running backs coach Duce Staley, Chubb saw another level of Staley's coaching style during his return to practice. Chubb said the drills Staley runs in practice are different than what he's experienced in the past, which can help him and the running back room establish the run game. He believes they have all the pieces to run the ball well, with Staley at the helm of their unit.

"He's very intense," Chubb said. "Duce thinks he still plays, so he takes it out on us, and in individual, it's nonstop. It's always moving. Always straining. But that's what we need."

As he progressed through his recovery, Chubb had his eyes set on making his return to practice, but never set a timeframe in his head on when he would actually return. He continued the day-to-day approach, working back to a point where he felt good and was available to come back.

Yet, over the past year, Chubb said the toughest element was the mental aspect of his recovery. There was a level of uncertainty as he went through his rehab, coming to terms with the unknown if his knee would be the same. It's why he only focused on each individual day.

When Chubb ran for the first time during his recovery, it was also a major milestone that he felt like he hurdled.

"I wanted to get on my feet and be able to run and move how I wanted to," Chubb said. "Once I was doing that, I knew I would play again."

With that mindset, he reached this point in his recovery and has the confidence in his abilities on the field. Even with his return to practice, he continues to keep his day-by-day approach as they take the necessary steps in this portion of his recovery.

As he gets back in the rhythm of practice, Chubb is also anticipating the feeling of taking a hit. He informed his teammates on the defensive side of the ball that he's up next and is ready to go against the defense to give him the look and feel he needs for a game. He also isn't concerned about contact, especially in the lower body.

"Once you get out there and you're running around, it's like you're eight years old again," Chubb said. "It's like riding a bike."

And while his teammates anticipate his return to game action, just his presence on the practice field has his teammates excited as they watch Chubb continue progressing.

"Huge emotional boost," WR Amari Cooper said. "As you guys know, we have a dominate run game that's really important in this league. Chubb is the type of running back that can turn a crack into a hole, truthfully, and so it'll be a huge addition to have him back in both practice and the games. Everybody around here is excited."