As the curtains draw on another NFL season, the league’s offseason commences with a fervor. Next on the agenda? The NFL Combine, poised to launch next week, followed by the anticipation surrounding the NFL Draft. Amidst this flurry of activity, the Cleveland Browns find themselves strategically positioning to leverage these upcoming events in sculpting their roster.

Yet, merely a year ago, conjecturing about the prospect of the Browns severing ties with their esteemed four-time Pro Bowl running back, Nick Chubb would have been unthinkable. However, in the current landscape, that notion has emerged as a plausible scenario. Chubb’s illustrious status not withstanding, his name now swirls in the midst of speculation as a potential casualty of the salary cap constraints.

Why the Browns could let go of Nick Chubb

The Browns’ star RB, Nick Chubb, might be in a bit of a sticky situation. According to Zac Jackson of The Athletic, the team’s grappling with the possibility of parting ways with him due to NFL salary cap constraints. It’s a tough call they’re facing. Berry, the Browns’ GM, has hinted that some restructuring talks are on the horizon.

Chubb’s been dealing with some serious knee issues, and he’s got a hefty salary cap hit of almost $16 million lined up for 2024. That’s his final year under contract, and he’ll be 28 by then. If the Browns decide to cut ties with Chubb, they’d only be on the hook for about $4 million in dead money.

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Jackson sounded pretty optimistic that Chubb will be back in the Browns’ colors, eventually. But he’s also quick to point out how tricky this whole situation is. With every move they make, the Browns have to tread carefully, especially with managing that salary cap. But we think Chubb will be worth it.

Chubb’s track record this year

He was sidelined for the entire 2023 season due to a nasty knee injury that required multiple surgeries. But let’s not forget just how good Chubb is when he’s healthy. Over his first five seasons with the Browns, he racked up an impressive 6,341 rushing yards and 48 touchdowns. And get this: his career yards-per-carry average of 5.3 is the seventh-best in NFL history for running backs. From 2018 to 2022, there was only one running back in the entire NFL who outran Chubb, and that’s Derrick Henry.

But here’s where things get a bit tricky. That knee injury from last year, coupled with his contract situation and the solid performance of backup Jerome Ford, has got some analysts thinking that Chubb’s days in Cleveland might be numbered. When Chubb was sidelined, the Browns didn’t just sit back and watch. They had Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt step up to the plate. Together, they managed to rack up a respectable 1,224 rushing yards and punched in 18 touchdowns throughout the season.

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So, could the Browns retain him for the upcoming year as well? Or will he hit free agency and try to rake up those numbers with a new team?