With the Super Bowl in the rearview mirror, we are officially in the hot-take season as sports media search for narratives until free agency starts next month.
Teams have started to look for ways to add salary cap space, and looking at the Cleveland Browns payroll for 2024, running back Nick Chubb’s contract stands out. Chubb is entering the final year of his contract, and his cap number is $15.825 million. Some are suggesting he has played his last snap in a Cleveland Browns uniform.
This just doesn’t make sense to me when you look at GM Andrew Berry’s history as a general manager and his ability to manage the salary cap. There isn’t a team in the league that has spent more cash than the Browns as the team uses void years and rollover cap to manage their overall cap hit.
Owner Jimmy Haslam is willing to pay whatever for wins despite his flaws, which is a very sustainable model. With all that said, there is no reason to think Berry will not find a way to restructure Chubb’s contract to make it work for both parties.
Chubb is returning from a terrible knee injury that required two surgeries, so the hesitance to pay him potentially top dollar makes sense. However, the team isn’t better without him on the roster even 85% of what he has been in the past is better than most backs at 100% across the league.
In the end, the team likely won’t bring him back on his current contract but will find a better deal that works for both sides.