If Nick Chubb is back with the Cleveland Browns next season, it will almost certainly be on a significantly reduced salary given the likelihood he will miss time in 2024 coming off multiple knee surgeries.
Per The Athletic’s Zac Jackson, the Browns would like to keep the four-time Pro Bowler and “hope he can be an effective fourth-quarter closer for them in the back half of next season.”
Chubb is entering the final season of his three-year, $36.6 million contract signed in July 2021.
He has an $11.8 million base salary and a $15.8 million cap hit in 2024.
The Browns are entering the offseason $19.6 million over the projected $242 million salary cap.
They would save $11.8 million against the cap, while taking on only a $4 million dead cap charge if they release Chubb.
General manager Andrew Berry has hinted at the possibility of reworking Chubb’s contract to keep him with the team.
“Obviously, I understand that’s a little bit of the elephant in the room,” Berry told reporters in January.
“With Nick, I can say for myself (and for) the organization (that) nobody wants to see that carry in Pittsburgh be the last time he carries the ball for the Cleveland Browns.
And obviously there are things that we’ll have to work through, but that would not be our intention. We obviously will work to keep him on the team.”
Chubb’s 2023 season came to an end in Week 2 when he suffered a knee injury that damaged his ACL, MCL, meniscus and medial capsule.
He had one surgery to repair the MCL, medial capsule and meniscus in September.
The Browns announced on Nov. 14 that Chubb had a second surgery to repair his ACL, with the hope he will be able to return to play at some point during the 2024 season.
Chubb was one of the most reliable running backs in the NFL from 2018 to ’22. He averaged 1,268 rushing yards and 10.4 total touchdowns per season over his first five seasons.
