The Cleveland Browns have made no promises to Nick Chubb and the fan-favorite back will have to think long and hard about his next move.
Chubb was the story of the year for the Browns during a disappointing 3-14 campaign. After more than a year away, he returned from a devastating knee injury that required two surgeries in Week 7, scoring a touchdown in his debut.
But part of the hard truth for the Browns is that Chubb did not look like the player he was prior to his latest knee injury. On top of that, he broke his foot during a Dec. 15 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, ending his comeback season early. In all, Chubb rushed for 332 yards on 102 carries with three touchdowns. Chubb’s 3.3 yards per carry average was, by far, the lowest of his career.
Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com said that the team has not promised Chubb a potential return. The four-time Pro Bowler’s best-case scenario might be a minimum contract loaded with performance-based incentives to boost its overall value.
“He knows what the deal was when he walked out that door. He didn’t walk out with any preconceived notions that he’s definitely coming back. I think he’s probably going to have to decide what he wants to do,” Cabot said during an appearance on “The Bullpen” with Adam The Bull . “And then if he doesn’t find what he wants out there, then maybe he’s willing to come back on some kind of a minimum contract, and they can work through some incentives and things like that.”
Browns Did Not Commit to Nick Chubb After Season
After Chubb’s knee injury, the team made accommodations to ensure he would return and be part of the team. He’s an icon in the city and everyone associated with the team was passionate about bringing him back.
But this time around, the Browns appear to have different circumstances, judging from general manager Andrew Berry’s comments on Chubb’s situation in his end-of-season press conference.
“It’s always a challenging situation when one of your cornerstone players, their contract is up. That’s probably maybe a little bit the different situation this year relative to relative to last, where there is maybe perhaps a little bit less control on the club side with it,” Berry said. “Those are all decisions that we do have to work through the next several weeks. We love Nick. He’s going to be a ring of honor player for us, and we know that. In terms of the short term, that’s something that quite honestly, we just have to work through over the next several weeks.”
After Chubb broke his foot and was ruled out for the year, many Browns veterans spoke up, feeling like he should always have a home in Cleveland.
“If Nick Chubb wants to be a Brown, he’ll be a Brown next year. That’s all I got for that,” Bitonio said. “He’s earned that, and they’ll figure something out.”
Browns Don’t Have Surefire Replacement for Nick Chubb
If Chubb were to depart, the Browns don’t have a surefire lead back on the roster. Jerome Ford has shown some upside but has been inconsistent. Over three seasons with the Browns, Ford has rushed for 1,390 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s also a capable pass-catcher, with 106 grabs for 544 yards and five more touchdowns.
The other running backs in the mix for the Browns are D’Onta Foreman, who is set to be a free agent, and Pierre Strong Jr.
Cleveland does hold the No. 2 pick in the draft, although they’re unlikely to take a running back that high. Aaron Jones, Najee Harris and AJ Dillon are some veterans who could be potential free agent options.
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Nick Chubb Gets Bad News on Future With Browns