Hard to see Nick Chubb on the Browns 2024 roster

With the Super Bowl now behind us, all teams have turned into offseason mode. This offseason will be no different for the Cleveland Browns as there will be several difficult decisions to be made. With such a sour taste in our mouths after the brutal defeat by the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski wasted no time as they fired a majority of the offensive staff including offensive coordinator, Alex Van Pelt, showing that they are all in on getting the most out of Deshaun Watson in 2024. With the organization turning its focus to Watson, the big question now is, what happens with Nick Chubb? There's no doubt that he's a fan favorite in Cleveland, but the NFL is a business and difficult decisions often need to be made.

Let’s just look at the facts. Chubb is coming off two knee surgeries from a serious injury suffered early in the 2023 season, and he's owed nearly $16 million in 2024. The cap number is huge, and we aren’t sure what type of production we'll see from him after such a serious injury.

That alone is enough for Berry to save $12 million in cap space by releasing him, but when you also factor in the direction of this offense, I’m not sure I see a scenario where he makes the roster. I know this will make some people's stomachs turn but is just the truth in the matter.

The one scenario where Chubb could remain on this roster is an extension and/or a pay cut. I’m not sure he would be willing to do that, but his demand may also be extremely low given the injury and question on how he will heal up. A two or three-year deal with minimal guarantees and a lot of incentives makes sense for the Browns, but at this point in his career, Chubb may be looking to get guaranteed money.

Believe me, I’m sure Berry doesn’t want to be the guy who cut Nick Chubb, but given the circumstances, I’m not sure I see a way around it.  Between the question mark on whether he will fully return from the injury and the change of philosophy on offense that wouldn’t require an elite running back, look for Berry to use that money in other places.

Chubb will always be a Cleveland legend, but if Berry can use that money to sign a wide receiver or extend Amari Cooper, that's the better option.

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