Free agency is looming just ahead of the NFL draft in April, and the Cleveland Browns have some pretty big decisions to make regarding several key positions.
They have to figure out a way to retain some important pieces to their offensive line in addition to retaining Nick Chubb, their former star running back who has yet to return to that form since a huge knee injury in 2023. Chubb should get another shot at his comeback story with Cleveland, but if he's given the opportunity to do so rests in the Browns front office's hands.
Chubb has been ranked all over the place this offseason, recently being listed as a running back to watch for in relation to the Las Vegas Raiders, AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals, and the Dallas Cowboys as a "bargain" running back in the offseason.
Most recently, though, The Athletic released their free agency tier list, and Chubb's ranking is pretty unfortunate.
The Athletic names Chubb in unfortunate tier amongst all 2025 free agents
Chubb has been named in Tier 5 on The Athletic's new free agency ranking released on Monday, which is labeled as "Old guys who can still play but could retire at any time."
That's pretty bad news for Chubb, especially as he's likely seeking a pretty decent deal ahead of 2025 knowing he'll be ready on Day 1 in 2025 compared to his mid-season return last year.
"After returning in October, Chubb was nearly outrushed by Jerome Ford over the rest of the season despite getting nearly twice as many carries (102 to 54). But hey, they are doing wild things with medicine and therapy these days, and you can’t question Chubb’s heart and skill level. Light a candle," wrote David DeChant, Jourdan Rodrigue and Vic Tafur in their ranking.
Read more: Latest ESPN draft analysis suggests Browns can land Nick Chubb's replacement
Of note: a potential replacement for Nick Chubb this offseason, J.K. Dobbins, was listed in Tier 4. That tier was labeled for "starting-caliber players with limitations or concerns," which sounds like Chubb. But, the creators of the ranking clearly didn't feel that way.
The writers note Chubb's significant injury history as the reason why he's fallen into this tier, which includes his torn MCL, LCL, and PCL from college and the re-injury of those tissues in 2023 against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2. It's enough to make your own knees hurt just to hear, so it's impossible to imagine the pain Chubb has gone through to get back to football.
Again, he is only 29 years old, and Chubb has never indicated he planned on retiring because of his extensive injury history. But, it's obvious that he'll probably never return to his form pre-2023 injury, and that's a huge blow to Cleveland's offense and running game if so.
Chubb is likely to be allowed to test free agency, and the Browns would be smart to at least offer him a team-friendly one-year deal that isn't too damaging to their already negative cap space. But, his potential lack of production should be raising red flags for the Browns as they're seeking to revitalize their run game in 2025 after finishing up one of the worst teams by rushing yards per game in 2024.