Nick Chubb is one of the best running backs in football when healthy, but the Cleveland Browns star is coming off of a major knee injury that has put his future in question.
Chubb is entering the final year of his deal and is slated to earn $11.8 million in base salary next season. He also carries a cap hit of just under $16 million.
If the Browns release him, they can save some money, but general manager Andrew Berry remained non-committal when asked about the halfback this week.
“Each situation is unique,” Berry said, via Zac Jackson of The Athletic. “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.”
A couple of weeks ago, Berry called Chubb’s contract the “elephant in the room,” so it is pretty clear that Berry and Cleveland’s front office are mindful of Chubb’s status, regardless of how diplomatic Berry wants to remain when asked about it.
Chubb tore his ACL and his MCL in Week 2 this past season. To make matters worse, it was the same knee Chubb had injured back in 2015 while he was playing at Georgia.
There is no doubt that Chubb is an elite rusher when he is right, but there is a chance that he will never truly be 100 percent again after his most recent injury.
Prior to 2023, the 28-year-old had made four straight trips to the Pro Bowl, with his best campaign coming in 2022 when he racked up 1,525 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging a robust five yards per carry.
Given that running backs are not valued too highly in the NFL anymore to begin with, it would not be the least bit surprising if the Browns decide to cut Nick Chubb this offseason.
Cleveland went 11-6 and lost to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs this year.
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