It may be tempting to fall for the old "the grass might not be greener on the other side," but it's especially critical to remember when speaking about Nick Chubb and his future with the Cleveland Browns.
Chubb's comeback season, which was marred by a broken foot suffered against the Kansas City Chiefs back in Week 15, was never supposed to be one where we saw the former All-Pro running back return immediately to his former glory. He just wanted to get back into action and ramp back up to game ready speed.
An unfortunate step just stopped that process, but thankfully, he won't need any surgery for that foot injury. Crisis averted not just for Chubb the football player, but for Chubb the person, who deserves nothing but health for the rest of his career.
That said, Chubb obviously had a disappointing return. He only managed to pick up 332 rushing yards, three touchdowns, and averaged just 3.3 yards per carry. He lacked the explosiveness and ability to use blockers to his advantage for extra yardage that fans have grown to see him have in almost every year of his career.
Should this season dictate his ability to re-sign with the Browns, though?
No.
To use a return season for a nearly 30 year old running back who has shown nothing but dedication to winning with the team as the only litmus test for offering a new deal that's fair to him and to the team is disingenuous. Chubb's lack of production was unfortunate to see, but that's not taking into account how bad the offensive line did to block for him or offer any running holes for him consistently.
Same goes for Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr., who couldn't do much to drag the Browns' offense and run game out of the gutter behind such an injured and patchwork O-line.
In addition to the fact that Chubb deserves a full, healthy season back before making judgments about his ability to still create offense, there aren't many running backs in the draft or free agency that'll be appealing to the Browns or to fans. Ashton Jeanty is a generational talent, but outside of him, the Browns might not be willing to part ways with a high pick for a running back.
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In terms of spending, Cleveland is likely to get a friendlier deal done with Chubb than with someone like, for example, Aaron Jones or Najee Harris, two running backs set to become free agents in 2025. So, there's no reason to let him go when they can retain someone who is already familiar with the Browns' offense and scheming.
Cleveland cannot fumble the goodwill that Chubb has retained and exemplified his entire career with them. He deserves another shot once healthy again to ramp back up in 2025.