The Cleveland Browns know they’ll have to make a decision on Nick Chubb’s future this offseason. When that will happen is still up for debate.
During his season-ending press conference, Browns general manager and executive vice president Andrew Berry admitted that Chubb’s contract is the “elephant in the room.” Chubb will count nearly $16 million against the cap next season. That’s a tough number to swallow for a healthy running back, let alone one coming off a major knee injury that required two surgeries. The Browns could save $11.825 million if they released Chubb.
However, Chubb is the heartbeat of the Browns’ offense and has already cemented himself as one of the all-time greats in Cleveland. Through six seasons Chubb has rushed for 6,511 yards and 48 touchdowns. His career 5.3 yards per carry is among the league’s elite.
Berry rarely addresses individual contracts but gave some insight on when some decisions could be made when it comes to Chubb and others on the roster.
“Each situation is unique,” Berry said on February 1, per Zac Jackson of The Atheltic. “Some (financial decisions) could occur before the (NFL scouting) combine, some can occur during the combine, some could occur, you know, well after it. So there’s no standard playbook. We will have enough time and energy to make the appropriate decisions from a contract standpoint.”
Browns Want Nick Chubb Back Next Season
Chubb suffered a devastating season-ending knee injury in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s required a pair of surgeries and his timeline for a return is uncertain.
The Browns have said he’s expected back at some point next season, but when that is exactly is unclear. What Berry has made clear is that they want to work out a way to have Chubb back in a Browns uniform next season.
“In terms of Nick moving forward, obviously, I understand that’s a little bit the elephant in the room,” Berry said on January 22. “Nobody wants to see that carry in Pittsburgh, be the last time he carries the ball for the Cleveland Browns. And obviously there are things that we’ll have to work through, but that would not be our intention as well. We obviously will work to keep him on the team.”
Chubb has been quiet since his surgery. However, he has been around the team facility. He even made a cameo as the Dawg Pound Captain for the team’s regular season finale.
Browns Feel ‘Good’ About Cap Situation Despite Challenges
The Browns will need to make some strategic cap moves this offseason. One of those will be with Chubb and another with likely be with quarterback Deshaun Watson. The Browns QB is set to count $63.9 million against the cap in each of the next three seasons.
Cleveland could create around $33 million in cap space by restructuring Watson’s contract. Berry is not ready to talk about it just yet. However, he does feel good about where the Browns are at.
“There are probably multiple answers to what (the Browns’ overall cap situation is), but ‘good,’ that might be the best way to describe it,” Berry told Jackson. “We feel really good about where we are in our roster’s life cycle. We have a lot of good players who either are on their second contracts or are approaching their second contracts. But it’s something that we’ve been thoughtful about in terms of our planning for multiple years and we feel good about where we are headed into the 2024 season.”
The Browns also have some free agents to figure out. Among those are running back Kareem Hunt, pass-rusher Za’Darius Smith, quarterback Joe Flacco and defensive tackle Shelby Harris.
